Shadow the Hedgehog 2: Maria's Return - Part 2
by Harvey Who
Summary: Takes place six months after the events of Part 1. I recommend you read the first part before this one.
1. Chapter 1

Part 2

 **Hero of the Future**

Chapter 1

 **The Mysterious Island**

* * *

One time each year for the past two millennia, there is a marvelous occasion, where enchantment and wonder ignite and fill the hearts of the Earth. Each home in the world fills with this joy when this moment occurs, with hearts growing warm in a seemingly magical way. Each room filled with decorations. The mantles prepared with a warm blaze roaring within. Lights twinkle and glow. Bells chime brightly. The moment is near.

Christmas…

This year, a precious gift shall be bestowed upon many the world over and beyond. But this is a gift that cannot be wrapped in papers, or placed under the tree. Far from it… it is a gift of the heart, and it means so much more.

* * *

In the heart of the Atlantic, a large airship was on a voyage to the American republic. Its crew: the Freedom Fighters, who for many years have been fighting against the evil genius Doctor Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik.

And among them, stretching her wings outside of the ship, was a very special girl: Angel the Hedgehog, also known as Maria Robotnik. It had been almost six months her return from the grave and reunited with her best friend and secretly beloved Shadow the Hedgehog. Before their reunion, Doctor Eggman, her former cousin, unknowingly resurrected her, and to this day, he is still trying to reclaim her. But in the end, she and Shadow escaped his clutches and haven't seen him since.

Between then and now, the two begin to accomplish an old dream they shared: along with all their friends, they have travelled the globe. It was a time of great joy and pleasure for Maria. For the majority of her previous life, she had literally looked down on the Earth, with little knowledge of its splendor and beauty. But like a dream, all things must come to an end, and this was no exception.

Soon, the hedgehog girl came in the ship through the hangar. Chris Thorndyke, a partially roboticized human, was waiting. Shortly before, Amy, Vanilla and Cream asked him to give an early Christmas present to her. A woman's holiday jacket in with a matching beret, and they were both her favorite color as well. Maria was quick to find a place to change, and she looked in a nearby mirror. "I think it's just wonderful," the girl said in a thankful voice.

"I'm glad you like it," Chris replied. "The gang really wants to make your first Christmas on Earth special."

Maria breathed a silent sigh. "Yeah… um, can I tell you something kind of personal?" she asked her friend, who nodded in reply. "This isn't just my first Christmas on Earth… it's my first real Christmas all together."

"Really? You've never… not even on the ARK?" the boy asked, and she nodded in turn. "That's so sad…"

"It was because of my NIDS way back when. My grandfather was always too busy trying to find my cure for me, so he was never around. I couldn't contact any family either because technology wasn't as advanced, so I was almost all alone."

"But wasn't Shadow with you back then?"

The hedgehog girl smiled at those words. "Of course… He was always there for me, and he made my life on the ARK warmer with every passing moment."

"Aww…" Chris teased. "Shadow showed that side of him? I would've loved to see that." The two couldn't help but laugh, knowing it was a joke.

Maria had almost forgotten how she never met her human parents. She honestly saw the Freedom Fighters as family, especially her 'twin brother' Sonic the Hedgehog, whom she got her new body from. It was truly to be a Christmas she would never forget.

As they were walking, the human boy noticed something out the bay window… "Huh? What's that doing out here?"

* * *

On another part of the ship, Shadow, Jack, and many of the other boys were at the ship's food court. All of them were looking forward to the holiday season to come. Only Sonic, despite his usually cheerful holiday spirit, was complaining. "We've been on this thing forever. How much longer until we return to the States?"

Shadow shrugged. "You're so impatient, Sonic. Sometimes, you have to slow down and enjoy life." He then handed the blue hedgehog a plate. "Here. Have some pumpkin pie."

Adhering to Shadow's instructions, Sonic ate a fork-full, and he gave a mild moan from the taste. "This is good."

"Really good," Tails added between bites.

Shadow grinned. "I never get to have these desserts around Rouge. She's allergic to cinnamon."

"Yeah, that's the bummer about limiting your number of friends," Knuckles pointed out.

"I wish I could eat," Jack complained. "Food always junks up my circuitry."

As they continued, Shadow sighed in a somewhat despairing way. Sonic noticed. "Something wrong?"

"Sort of…" the organic being replied. "It's Maria's first Christmas on Earth, you know, and…"

"…and you haven't found a good gift to give her, have you?" the blue hedgehog cut in.

"H-How…?"

"I'm having the same problem with Chris."

Shadow smirked. "You haven't thought of anything for him either, huh?"

"Nope. I mean, what do you get for the son of a CEO and a movie star?" And as he spoke, he and Maria came in. "Hey, guys. What's up?" Sonic asked.

"You guys should see this," the college boy replied.

Rousing with curiosity, the others did as told. They followed him to the front of the airship, and Chris pointed to an island not too far away from them.

But this wasn't some standard tropical island one would expect in the mid-Atlantic. This one was full of pines and oak trees. It was like a continental island, but what was one like this doing so far from the mainland?

Shadow pondered this thoroughly. Such an island couldn't be thought of as real. "Let's go check it out. Up close and personal," he said finally. So they carefully landed their ship on the beach, and everyone came off.

Once they got there, Sonic fell face down to the ground. "Finally!"

Shadow shook his head. "Wuss," he muttered. Suddenly, he took himself to the head. Images filled his head of monstrous creatures he quickly recognized.

Sonic looked and scoffed at him. "Looks like you need your land legs too, Faker!"

"No. It's not that," he replied. "I… I thought I sensed the Black Arms nearby."

"Sensed?" Maria asked curiously. Shadow started to explain. Bluntly put, the Black Arms thought and felt as one. Black Doom was the hive mind, controlling them all at the pulse of his mind. Since Shadow was only partly their kind, he shared a very loose connection. He could feel their presence within a close radius. "But… a Black Arm? I thought the Eclipse Cannon wiped then all out with the Black Comet."

"That's what concerns me," replied the black one.

* * *

The team decided to investigate the island more thoroughly. If there was a threat upon this island, they would find it. Very cautiously, many maneuvered through the trees and bushes. They crackled and snapped as they were being passed by.

Those who could fly, including Maria, took to the skies for an answer. Then, Rouge the Bat found something even more curious. There, at the top of a nearby hill, were statues of Sonic, Tails, Amy and the rest of the gang that was sent to Earth from their home world. The stone figures were all arranged in a circle. The island was just getting weirder by the minute.

They quickly climbed the hill to get a better look. None of them were certain why that was there. Then again, what was a continental island doing so far away from any continent? Cheese then jumped around like mad. He was trying to direct them to a pedestal in the middle. The group came over, and Maria read the plaque aloud.

"This memorial is to commemorate the Freedom Fighters who gave their live to defeat Doctor Eggman. These few include Sonic the Hedgehog, hero of Mobius and Eggman's greatest enemy," she read.

Tails then realized something. If Angel Island was brought here to Earth, as well as Eggman's fortress and the Mobians, then maybe…

All at once, the aerial scouts departed to retrieve the remainder. But Maria stayed. She decided to get a better inspection of the monument for clues. As she did so, she didn't notice a hooded figure approaching her from behind. Before she could, two arms wrapped around her, and from the wrists came beams of energy.

"Don't move," a female voice instructed. "We saw your ship land on our shores, and we know you're behind the recent attack on my father. Come quietly, and we won't hurt you. Got it?"

But before Maria could answer, another more familiar voice spoke. "I've got a better idea." The being holding Angel turned to see the blue hedgehog in the distance. "You let her go by the count of ten, and I won't hurt you."

The figure didn't answer. She stood in awe at Sonic. "It... can't be..."

"One... two... TEN!" Sonic curled up and charged for a spin attack. He spun at full throttle toward his target.

The figure pushed the winged hedgehog aside and quickly combined her wrists, and a sphere of energy appeared. Sonic ricocheted off the barrier into a nearby tree.

"Sonic!" The blonde hedgehog dashed over and helped him up. "Are you okay?"

The blue hedgehog simply stared in shock at the mysterious female. "You dodged my spin attack... Nobody's ever done that before..."

"Well, I've had my experience," she replied as she approached him. "I know your type. Confident, often sarcastic and witty, and let me guess: you're the fastest thing alive."

"Who... Who are you?!"

The figure was now only inches away. "You mean you don't remember? Perhaps you remember this..." Then, out of nowhere, she pressed her lips to his.

Before Sonic could react, she pulled away. The ends of Sonic's lips stretched up and wide. "Sal!"

With a squeal of joy, the girl was lifted into the air. Sonic spun her around as they gazed into each other's eyes. The blue hedgehog gently placed her back on the ground and wrapped his arms around her.

Then, after he let go, the girl lifted her hood to reveal a Mobian. Judging by its appearance, it was a female chipmunk with soft red hair on her head. "I knew you'd come back someday! You always do! I... I love you."

"I know." It was Sonic's turn to kiss her now.

"Uh... What just happened?" Maria asked.

Sonic and Sally pulled away and looked to the source of the voice. They both blushed at this very awkward moment.

Before anybody could do any more, there was the sound of footsteps from all over. The Freedom Fighters charged in from all over. They were accompanied by three extra Mobians: a walrus, a coyote, and a partly roboticized rabbit.

The walrus was the first to speak. "If I didn't see it myself, I wouldn't have believed it."

"Hey, Rotor! Long time no see!"

"Sonic ze Hedgehog, mon'amie!" called the coyote. "'Tis good to be seeing you again!"

Sonic chuckled. "Still got that wacky accent, huh, Antoine?" Then he turned to the rabbit. "And Bunnie Rabbot! How are the robot limbs?"

The rabbit giggled. "I ain't a 'Rabbot' no more, Sugah-Hog... Now, it's Mrs. Antoine D'Colette."

Sonic's jaw almost dangled open. "Shut up... Seriously?!"

Bunnie showed him the ring. "I wish yah could've been there."

"I'm sorry I missed it," Sonic replied, "but we were all separated through Eggface's experiment. That being said, I didn't know you were warped to Earth too."

"We… we were what?" Sally asked.

"Yeah. Somehow, his machine warped this whole land mass and us to all over this world through Chaos Control. We've been trying to find a way back to you guys ever since." The blue hedgehog then introduced his new friends to his old ones one by one, ending with the winged one. "…and this is my sister, Maria 'Angel' Hedgehog."

"Sister?" Sally asked out of curiosity.

The yellow hedgehog girl giggled. "It's a long story..."

* * *

One long story later, Rotor was the first to speak. "I see… so you're a clone of Sonic, who used to be Eggman's cousin, huh?" the walrus asked Maria, who confirmed her summary. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet a Robotnik who's not out to rule the world. Then again, Eggman was assumed to be the last living of his family line when he started."

"Yeah… I figured that out the hard way," the former human replied.

"Well, on behalf of the Freedom Fighters, I welcome you all to our cause," Sally told them. "So, are any of you guys hungry? I know of a great place for lunch."

"Where is it?" Shadow asked.

"Trust me… you'll know it when you smell it." On that note, they began their trip into the forest.

Sally glanced back at Shadow with a sense of doubt. She had never seen a Mobian like him before. Plus, he looked like one of the invading Black Arms from a few years back. And he was partially one of them, biologically speaking.

Sonic noticed her glare. "Relax, Sal. He's cool, and here's all the good he's done," he started, and Sally listened closely.

Upon hearing that, Shadow's ear twitched. He was reminded of the day he lost Maria. He had once used those same words as a sample of what she might say to vouch for another. But to hear them personally from another about him… Shadow smiled a small smile as they walked. It felt great to know that he had a clean slate amongst his own kind.

Maria smiled at Sonic's words, and he playfully elbowed Shadow. "Remind you of anything?"

"Aw, shut up," he mumbled in a somewhat joyful tone.

Unbeknownst to any of them, a mysterious figure watched them go by from the distance. He was particularly focused on the black and red hedgehog. "I finally found him," he said to himself. "Black Doom's executioner…"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 **New Knothole**

* * *

About a half-hour later, the Freedom Fighters made their way out of the forest. Sally then told the others that they would arrive at the city in a few short seconds, and she and Sonic continued down the path, his arm around her. His sister sighed quietly, watching them. 'I wonder if Shadow will ever see me as more than a friend, like them?' she thought, and she glanced at the black one, who noticed her actions.

"Is something wrong?" Shadow asked.

"Oh! Uh, no... It's nothing," Maria replied.

The G.U.N. agent was not convinced. He knew she was terrible at lying. Assuming she didn't want to talk about it, he decided to leave it at that.

After passing through some large bushes, Sally turned to the rest. "Everyone, welcome to New Knothole!"

Once they got into the city, a small Mobian girl noticed them. She looked to the crowd… "Hey, everybody! The Freedom Fighters are back!" she called out. The crowd of Mobians looked in the girl's direction. Seeing she was right, they began to cheer for them out of rejoice. Many if not all gathered around to properly welcome the returners and the newcomers.

Suddenly, a voice called Sonic out by name. He turned to see a young Mobian canine. "Sonic, is that really you?"

The blue hedgehog quickly identified him. "Muttski?" The two ran to each other and embraced warmly. The older Mobian looked at the younger one. "How're you doing, little bro?"

"Me?! How are _**you**_ doing, big bro?"

"Never felt better in my life," Sonic replied with a joyful tear in his eye. "Where's Mom and Dad?"

"Follow me!" Muttski lead the blue hedgehog through the crowd.

In almost no time at all, they all saw a number of Mobian hedgehogs in the distance. Some were much older than the rest. Half of them were blue, like Sonic. One in particular seemed to be fully robotic.

The blue hedgehog called out to them. "Mom! Dad! Uncle Chuck! Everyone! I'm home!"

The hedgehog crowd turned to see the blue hedgehog and his canine companion coming. They cheered his name and ran over to them. A violet hedgehog held him tight and kissed him all over. "Oh, Sonic! We missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, Aunt Aleena." The blue hedgehog saw a green male hedgehog and a purple girl run over. "Manic! Sonia!"

The twins rejoiced at their cousin's return. "Sonic! You're alive!"

"It's true! It's true!"

The three blue hedgehogs joined them in their embrace. The one with a bushy mustache and eyebrows laughed. "It'll take more than one of Eggman's experiments to do in my favorite blue nephew!"

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that, Pop," his son said.

"What Manic said, Uncle Chuck," Sonic replied.

"We're just glad you weren't hurt, son," Sonic's mother, Bernadette, said with tears in her eyes.

"And that you're finally home," his roboticized father, Jules, added. He then looked up at the crowd. There, coming toward them, was the blonde winged hedgehog, who was trying to find the blue one. He seemed confused by her, as his scanners told him she was Sonic, too.

Once she got close enough, the blue blur pulled her over and introduced her to the other hedgehogs. He was able to at least tell them her name before Maria pointed out the obvious. "You must be Sonic's family."

"That's right," Jules said. "Are you a new friend of his?"

"Well…" Maria seemed slightly nervous, but she quickly got the courage to speak. "In a sense, I'm his sister."

The others were understandably surprised. They didn't believe her until Sonic explained and Maria showed them the birthmark on the back of her hand. "…and you took her in as your sister after that," the robot hedgehog concluded. Though he couldn't show it, he was pleased. "I have to say, I'm proud of you, Maurice."

Sonic cringed at what he heard.

Maria turned to her male counterpart. "Maurice? That's you're real name?!" She held in her laughter. "I wonder what your middle name is."

"Actually, that **is** his middle name," Bernadette replied. "His real first name is-!"

" _ **MOM!**_ " snapped the embarrassed blue Mobian . "The name is Sonic! Period!"

The yellow hedgehog burst into laughter.

Then, another voice called for her by name. She turned to see Sally coming toward her. Behind her were Chris, Jack and Shadow. "Do you need us for something, your highness?" the blonde hedgehog asked.

"First of all, just call me Sally. Titles make my skin crawl," she replied. "Secondly, I've been thinking… since you and your friends are new here, how would you like a tour of the city? Courtesy of the Freedom Fighters."

The four agreed to her offer. It seemed only fair that they get to know the place better. It was home to most of their friends after all.

"If I may, Sally," called a female voice. The chipmunk reached down to her side and pulled up what looked like a pocket-sized computer. "I could be their tour guide for you. It'll give you more time with your familiar friends."

The princess smiled at the offer. "Sure thing, Nicole." She pulled a Ring out of her pocket and attached it to the computer. Then, right in front of them, something began to pixilated on the ground.

Quite rapidly, whatever it was grew from the ground until it eventually configured itself to create a humanoid form. From its appearance, it seemed to be a Mobian lynx. "So, who's ready for a tour of New Knothole?"

Sonic's eyes widened. "Nicole?!"

"I… Yes," replied the lynx. "I've been studying corporeal life as a side project."

"Sweet! I like your avatar."

"Thank you. I've run into some trouble, but-!" The hologram turned to the other four. She cut herself off at the sight of the hedgehog-like robot. He was speechless as well when he saw her.

Slowly yet surely, the two approached each other until they were merely inches away. "Hi… I'm Jack."

"Nicole. Have we ever met?"

The robot shook his head. "I would've remembered," he replied, causing her to giggle. "I like your hologram matrix."

"Nice power core."

Sally then came between them. "Come on, Juliet. We don't have all day," the princess teased.

"Sorry, Sally," she quickly apologized.

"Let's make up for lost time, shall we?" The robot held out his arm cannon, and she playfully wrapped her arms around it. Soon they began the tour.

"Talk about 'compatible software'," Sonic joked.

* * *

Nicole showed the newest Freedom Fighters around New Knothole the rest of the day. The holographic lynx pinpointed all of the more popular sites in the city. Some of these included a Chao garden, the same one where Cheese was born in, Uncle Chuck's diner, Castle Acorn and the Ring Grotto. After an hour of seeing the sights, Nicole directed them to a cave-like place that was mostly underground. "Most normally take the oak slide. Ladies first…" With that said, she and Maria started down the slide first, and the rest followed after them.

Down at the bottom, the four new comers were surprised. The whole cavern was built full of games, computers, weapons, and more. It was the best man-cave one could ask for.

"This is Freedom HQ, our base of operations and home-away-from-home." The lynx then pointed to the large computer on the side. "That's my main frame over there."

"Wow! You look amazing!" The robot stood in awe.

"Thanks. I have Wi-Fi, a voice-operator, and even a virtual world. Plug yourself in, and see for yourself."

The Metal Sonic doppelgänger pulled a cable out of his back and plugged himself in to the giant computer's hard drive, and he could his feel his coding be sent into her. He whistled as he appeared on the screen. "This place is huge! Isn't that the city library over there?"

"Yep." said a voice from behind. Nicole showed up with a smile. She hasn't had any company in her network before. "With the finest technology from Mobius, I can build, rebuild and fix the entire city at the wave of a finger. And since I'm hooked up to the new surveillance system, I can see and hear everything that-!" Before she could finish, her built-in alarm sounded. "Proximity alert! Something's attacking the city!"

"Don't you have a defense system?" Chris asked.

Nicole reappeared in front of them. "We do, but it's shut down for repair! I'm still working on that!"

Jack unplugged himself from the computer. "Alright then, where is it? What is it? And how do we blow it up or beat it down?"

"Near the northern wall. All the other Freedom Fighters are there, and they–" Her eyes widened. "Oh, no!"

"What is it?" Shadow asked.

"Something's jamming my signals!"

"That can only mean one thing," the robot replied. "An invasion."

The remaining four looked at each other, and they agreed to take care of this. Flying out a chute overhead, Maria carried Shadow whereas Jack held Chris in the air. Within seconds, they were near the north wall.

Once they landed, they ran more toward the north, and there, they were surprised. There were a large number of Mobians dancing and relishing before them. Even the Freedom Fighters, Rouge and Omega were having a joyous time. There was a large banquet, music and a few fireworks being set up.

The remaining four were on beyond confused. Nicole appeared before them. "Surprise! I lied!"

"Okay… what's going on?" asked Shadow.

"I was actually setting up a celebration behind your backs," she explained. "It's to honor those who have returned and the newest recruits to the Freedom Fighters."

Jack chuckled. "Well, I guess we fell for that one."

* * *

The city rejoiced and celebrated. It seemed like a perfect end to their joyous day. The return of their lost heroes and some new ones as well... they could ask for nothing less. The newest members were very aroused with entertainment, especially Shadow. It felt good to be amongst his kind now.

Shortly, a new face stepped onto the stage. It was a Mobian squirrel, slightly older than Jules. Judging by the crown on its head, it must have been the king. He clapped for the band, and the lead performer handed him a microphone. "Here you go, sire."

"Why, thank you, Mina." And he turned to the audience. "Good citizens," he began, "We've all been fighting the war against Robotnik for so long. It seems like our entire lives were put into this. We've had great victories and losses over the years, but I believe that the worst circumstances unleash the best in each of us. Nobody is more evident than one of our most recent additions to the Freedom Fighters, Angel the Hedgehog."

A spotlight lit over the blonde hedgehog's head.

King Acorn called out to her. "Miss Robotnik, please come up."

Surprised, the former human slowly approached the stage. She stepped up onto the stage and the king continued. "My daughter, Sally, has told me about you, Angel. You have fought to protect the world you cherished, knowing almost nothing about it. You even sacrificed your own life for that of your friend, Shadow. This and more have instilled great hope into the lives of billions, whom you cared for without reason." He opened a small box and pulled something out. "And that is why I am pleased to honor you with the Acorn Medal of Valor."

After the king placed the medal on Maria's chest, the rest of the Freedom Fighters applauded for their more recent recruit. A small smile crept onto her face. "Gee… you're all so nice… If I had a family, I'd want them to be just like you."

Sonic and his family froze as the rest cheered. The words echoed in their heads. 'If I had a family… If I had a family…' This gave Sonic an idea, which he quickly explained to the others. Once Maria found them again, Bernadette was the first to speak. "Maria? Sweetie? We were talking just now, and there's something we want to ask you…"

Suddenly, she squealed silently, and she froze. Everyone else was frightened. "Mom? What's wrong?" But the same thing happened to him. One by one, Mobian by Mobian, the crowd stiffened up where they stood. Shadow, somehow, was the only one who didn't. He had no idea what was happening.

Then, he heard a voice. "A special weapon, this gas… Once inhaled, it is quickly absorbed into the blood stream, paralyzing your nervous system in seconds." The voice cackled.

Surprised, Shadow looked all over. But he could see no one who wasn't paralyzed. "Who are you? Show yourself!"

His answer came in a more menacing tone. "Me?" the creature asked. "I am you in a way. A living weapon built for a singular purpose… The shadow that blocks out the last light of hope… the Black Blood perfected..."

Just then, a shape appeared in the direction of the voice. There stood a bizarre creature. It was his height and color, but it appeared to be more like a lizard. It had three claws on each hand, two toes on each foot, and a long, spear-headed tail.

"I am Eclipse the Darkling! And I am your end, brother!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 **Total Eclipse**

* * *

Shadow slowly got up. He wasn't in pain, not anymore, but he was being cautious. He thought it was just an irrational sensation at first, but he was wrong. "I take it you're the new Black Arm hive mind…" Shadow growled.

The Black Arm chuckled. "Me? No, nothing so lofty. Think of me as… the first lieutenant."

"Then listen closely, 'lieutenant.' Go away, and leave us in peace."

"Was Black Doom given that same warning when he first came here? Did you let him leave this world with his life? You'll understand if I'm not inclined to respect your wish."

"How…?"

"I know him the same way you do, brother. We were created the exact same way, you and I. The only real difference is I am pureblood."

"That's impossible," Shadow replied out of denial, "The Black Arms were defeated years ago. I carried this out myself."

"Do you seriously believe Black Doom played all the cards in his hand?"

Shadow was puzzled. He didn't know what to think. It was still difficult for him to grasp his mind around the survival of the alien race before him.

In a swift move, the creature warped behind him and held his claw on Shadow's head. The black hedgehog gasped in shock. Many images appeared in his subconscious. "Let me show you…"

* * *

On the far edge of the Milky Way Galaxy, there lay the dwarf planet Eris. At approximately fifteen billion miles from the sun, it almost triples the distance from Earth to Pluto. As far as scientists knew, the small cluster of dirt was uninhabited… They were wrong.

Hidden within was a secret laboratory. It wasn't one made by humans or Mobians, rather by something else. In one room in particular, a monster lay asleep in a glass tube full of green liquid. It was the lizard-like humanoid himself, Eclipse. It hadn't been released in a long time if at all.

Suddenly, the machine activated. The liquid drained, and air was released into the tube. The beast slowly opened its hissing yellow and black eyes. With a quick throw of his fist, he punched through the glass and got out of the capsule. It looked around and could see it was alone.

Then, a nearby screen activated. On it was an alien being with three eyes and two large horns. The lizard creature lurched back. "Greetings, Eclipse," began the figure on the screen. "I am Black Doom, your creator… your master. Should you be watching this, I am now deceased."

Eclipse stood still and listened. Seeing the black and red marking on him similar to his own, he assumed he was right.

"We have been betrayed and destroyed by your so-to-speak brother, Shadow the Hedgehog." The screen then showed a black and red Mobian. "Fearing this would occur, I created you the same way I did him… with my own blood. Through this, you possess extraordinary power. Most of them will mirror that of which Shadow possesses, such as strength, agility, and unfathomable speed. You will also possess the same control over Chaos that Shadow does. The only difference in your abilities is that yours are more acute than his, because you are pureblood Black Arm."

Eclipse looked down at his claws, processing all this information. He could feel the power coursing within, and he started to image what potential he had.

"Now, I leave you with your only mission. There's a blue and green planet called Earth further within this galaxy. Travel there, and avenge our kind. In other words…destroy Shadow the Hedgehog and the world he foolishly protects!" With that said, the image on the screen kicked off.

The alien was silent for a moment. But then an idea bubbled in his mind. "I will avenge you, master… but not in the way you think…" He quickly used Chaos Control, and once again, the small planet of Eris was a lifeless ball of dirt, drifting through space.

* * *

The black and red hedgehog lurched back, shocked. With all that has happened since he had come into Knothole, sensing his presence, he couldn't help but believe him. Even though it defied all logic, there was no mistaking the facts.

Eclipse continued to flood his mind with images. "Like you, I'm free to act off my own accord. Free to think and fight you off my own terms. The ultimate answer to the ultimate problem… But," he added, "I'm also free to question if tearing you apart is the only way.

"The way I see it, we're the last of our kind, you and I. The Black Arms are nearly extinct! So wouldn't we be so much stronger if we recreated the hive together?" he asked. "Just picture it! Twin sons of Doom! Brothers in arms! Worlds would fall to us, and the Black Arms would reign superior!"

But the more the intruder spoke, the more his so-called brother resisted. "Get…out…" He growled. He mentally fought against Eclipse until finally… "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"

Eclipse was forced back away from Shadow's body. He was rather disappointed, but he still tried. "Shadow, you're not listening! We don't need to fight! You don't need to pretend you're one of these worms! You can finally come home!"

The black hedgehog shook off his amazement quickly, and he stood ready to fight. "This world _**is**_ my home. I made a promise to protect this world, and the Black Arms sought it destroyed. My path is clear." He pulled out his Chaos Emerald. "Chaos Control!"

To everyone's great surprise, nothing happened. The alien grinned again.

"What…? Chaos Control! CHAOS CONTROL!" Still, nothing… "Why isn't it working?"

"You shouldn't have underestimated me!" said Eclipse. "Your world is mine now! You shall die my way!"

Shadow shrugged. "Fine. We'll settle this the old fashioned way!" He curled up and launched a homing attack at the creature.

Eclipse chuckled silently. Once the black hedgehog was close enough, he jumped out of the way and kicked him into a nearby wall.

The Ultimate Lifeform got up after he fell and wiped the dirt from his face. Furious, he charged at his alien 'brother,' but surprisingly, he couldn't win. With every punch Shadow threw, Eclipse dodged and launched a counter attack. Finally, the alien threw Shadow into another wall. The ebony and crimson Mobian fell to his hands and knees, very little strength left to fight.

Maria saw everything. She pulled and pushed to move her muscles.

Eclipse was only feet away. He looked at his adversary, rather disappointed. "Is this a joke? How could someone as weak as you betray the Black Arms?"

"How… are you blocking… my Chaos Control?" Shadow panted.

"It doesn't matter. To fulfill my purpose, my master's executioner must be destroyed." The creature drew out his own Chaos energy and prepared to finish his job when…

"STOP!" The blonde hedgehog ran out between the black one and the alien. She had broken free of the gas' effects and came to Shadow's rescue.

"This doesn't concern you, woman! Step aside, and I'll consider sparing you!" Eclipse demanded.

But Maria simply put her foot down. "Absolutely NOT!"

The alien monster glared at them. "You have a human's arrogance, yellow hedgehog. But I possess the power of Chaos!" He then threw several Chaos Spears at them all at once.

"Chaos Shield!" The energy flowed from Maria's hands to form a barrier. The Chaos Spears ricocheted off the barrier and flew into the sky. "Join the club," she grinned.

Suddenly, another shape joined them. It was Jack, and he had his arm cannon aimed at the alien. "My friends! No touchie!"

"Three against one?" asked Eclipse. "Good… a challenge. Have at me, fools!"

Shadow stood up, looked at the other two, and smiled. He was lucky to have friends like these. "Let's go, Team ARK!"

To Eclipse's surprise, the three proved to be far more of a challenge then he expected. As he tried to attack one, another would counter-attack, Jack's cybernetic armaments proved too strong for his Chaos Spear. Maria's Chaos Control was enough to stun the alien. And Shadow… with his strength restored, he was tougher than before.

Before long, the alien was down on the ground. Though he showed no injury, he was weak and weary. He staggered to his feet, and the three were just about to unleash a Team Blast on him when a bizarre portal opened up behind Eclipse. He wasn't sure where it came from, but he saw it as a means to escape and recover.

He turned to Shadow. "You haven't seen the last of me, brother!" With that said, he jumped through and disappeared.

"Hey! Get back!" Jack chased after him.

Shadow stopped the robot. "Let him go. He'll be back soon enough, and we'll be ready…" The black and red one turned to the other Freedom Fighters. The gas that paralyzed them was now starting to wear off. "Is everyone alright?" he asked and everyone showed signs of perfect health.

Sonic and his family approached them. "Maria, are you alright?" Bernadette asked.

"We're fine. But thanks for your concern, _Mom_." Suddenly, she realized that she had called her by the wrong title. Before Bernadette could say anything, Maria quickly cut her speech. "S-Sorry, I don't know what came over me…"

However, the mother of the blue blur approached her and slowly wrapped her arms around her. Maria's eyes widened with surprise. Bernadette whispered into her ear. "I know you've had a painful past… I can see it in your eyes." She lightly kissed her on the forehead. "That's why we-!"

Without knowing he did so, the king interrupted her. "We've suffered worse, but that's what we live for." He then looked at the black and red hedgehog. "Shadow, was it? I will admit I had my doubts about you at the start. Sonic told me you were one of the Black Arms. Now, I know you are nothing like them. We are honored to have you in our cause."

Shadow was pleased. Not only was he being accepted by his own kind, they fully accepted as an ally and a friend. He bowed his head. "It's a pleasure, your Highness."

"Please… call me Max," he said as a lynx appeared near the king. "As a token of my esteem, I have instructed Nicole to let you purchase some available homes in the city. I assume you have no place to stay at the moment."

"This way, please." She started to lead three of the four out of the near-ended celebration. Nicole then stopped and called out to Maria.

The blonde hedgehog looked at her, then at the Sonic and his family. She was certain she didn't really have a choice. "It was nice meeting all of you… it really was…"

"Maria…" Sonic started.

"…but I have to go."

"No. No, you don't," he interrupted in a gentle manner. "You can stay. I mean, you're already part of the family. And not just because you got your body from me."

His father and mother stepped up. "What do you say, Maria?" asked the latter. "Do you want to be a Hedgehog?"

Maria stood awe-struck. "Y-You… want to adopt me?" Apart from this question, she was speechless. Being in space her entire childhood, away from her parents, she hardly even knew them. Being revived so long later, she never would meet them. Now, she was being given something she never truly had before… a family.

She turned around to her friends. All of them seemed very positive of this offer, especially Shadow and Jack, who knew her better than the rest. When she looked back at Sonic, though she was verbally silent, the girl ran to them, arms open wide.

The Hedgehog family welcomed their new member with a large group hug. It was all the answer they needed.

* * *

Elsewhere, far away, Eclipse reappeared through the portal he jumped through. He looked around, cautiously. He seemed to be surrounded by metal, like he was in a lab. It was dark, and there were many dark silhouettes.

"Are you unharmed?" asked one of them.

He looked in the direction of the voice. "For the most part, but… who are you? And what do you want?"

A mysterious figure emerged from the dark. He looked much like a large winged human. In his hand was a Chaos Emerald. "I am Makuta, firstborn of Mata Nui," it said. "Los ok hokoron. Like you, I am an enemy of Shadow the Hedgehog. I am hoping you will join us in our ambitions."

"That depends. Do they involve the destruction of the black and red nuisance?"

Makuta was silent for a second, but he replied, saying, "In part."

Eclipse kneeled. "Then I shall join you. How do you plan to bring about his death? And how do I assist?"

"Drem. Patience," Makuta grinned. "We must remain hidden for a short time… and weather the coming storm."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 **My Daddy, Unit One**

* * *

Later, the hedgehog brought their newest member to their home. Sonic carried a sleeping Muttski in his arms. Once they got there, Sonic yawned. "If it's all the same with you guys, I think Muttski and I gonna turn in for the night," he said and left for his room.

His mother directed Maria to a nearby door, and she followed. Inside was a small cozy bedroom with a celestial bed that dominated the room and a small bathroom. It had an old fashioned touch, and everything was new and well kept. "I'll need to speak with Nicole about making your room tomorrow. Until then, you can have the guest room, okay?" the purple hedgehog asked in a motherly tone.

"This'll do. Thank you," replied Maria.

As the two unpacked her luggage, Bernadette found something at the bottom of Maria's bag. It was a yellow cat toy with a blue bow. She turned to the blonde hedgehog curiously. "Not to lecture you or anything, but aren't you a little old to have these kinds of toys?"

Maria looked at the plush cat, and then back at her so-called mother. "It's more of a memento of my birth parents. It was the only gift I remember getting from them... before…" She paused, because she was uncertain of how to phrase it.

"Before what, dear?"

The blonde hedgehog sighed. "Let's just say I didn't know them very well."

As a mother normally would, the purple hedgehog could easily tell she wasn't very happy with this. But she still wanted to comfort her heart. She took Maria's hands into her own. "Neither did Muttski," she began. "His parent's died in a fire when he was only seven. Then, like you, Sonic took him in… well, we all did. We became the family he never had growing up, and we'll do the same for you. I promise."

Maria smiled. "I know you will. Thanks, Mom." She was not going to get used to saying that any time soon.

After a quick hug, Bernadette started heading for the door. "Take as much time as you need to get settled. If you need anything, our room is just down the hall," she said to her and closed the door. "Good night… my daughter."

The blonde hedgehog slipped into her sleepers, and she tiredly crawled into bed. She stared out into the starry night, counting the blessings she had been given since her death. 'A second chance at life, a warm home, a caring family, plenty of friends… What more could a girl ask for?' She yawned and slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, small white flakes drifted from the sky to the ground. From Castle Acorn to residential abode, the land was colored with snow. Maria was sleeping lightly, dreaming about her hero in black and red. She smiled in her sleep, and she hugged her pillow. Suddenly, there was the sound of a loud crash from downstairs. She woke up with a shock and looked around timorously.

She quickly went down to the living room and saw something unexpected. Some of the Hedgehog family was up and running, but that was not what got her attention. She looked around to see wreaths on the windows, garland on the banisters, and stockings over the fireplace. They had been decorating while she was asleep.

Also, Maria could see that the crash came from a glass bowl Sonic had dropped. The blue hedgehog looked over to see her sister, and he was disappointed. "Aw, man! So much for the surprise…"

"What are you guys doing?" asked Maria.

"We were decorating the house. Since it is your first Christmas outside of the ARK, we wanted to surprise you."

"Well, I am definitely surprised." Maria giggled. "You didn't decorate the tree without me, did you?"

"Nope," Bernadette jumped in. "Your Uncle Charles and Muttski are out getting one as we speak." Then there was a knock on the door. "I bet that's them."

The door opened, and there stood the two. Behind them was a tree that couldn't easily fit through the door. "Mind giving your uncle a hand? This is always the tricky part."

"Here. Allow me." Maria then stepped over and got a firm grip on the trunk of the tree. "Chaos Control!" With a bright flash, she, Charles and the tree were in the house.

"Did I forget to mention she could do that?" Sonic asked cheekily.

"That would've been good to know," Uncle Chuck said in a dizzy tone.

After he had sat down for a little bit, they began opening boxes and pulling out the decorations for the tree. Sonic was quick (as expected) to grab the tinsel and spin it around the pine branches. Uncle Chuck and Muttski started wiring the lights. And the girls put on the ornaments one by one.

After about two minutes of decorating, Sonic noticed something. "Hey, where's Dad?"

The blonde hedgehog looked over and saw a silhouette of a hedgehog in the corridor. "I think he's in the kitchen. I'll get him." And so she went to do so. Upon entrance, though, there was yet another surprise, this one more disturbing.

There, she saw Jules wrapping part of his arm up with some silver tape. Around him were a few tools and gadgets. He noticed her and chuckled in embarrassment. "Hey there…" He looked at his arm. "As soon as you reach the age when your warranty expires, you start falling apart. Pretty soon, there's gonna be more duct tape than me."

"Here. Let me help." Maria approached her adoptive father and grabbed a socket wrench. She tightened the loose bolts and secured his arm again. Once, she was finished, she became curious and said, "Dad? Can I ask you something?" But before she could say anymore…

"Let me guess. You want to know how I became a Robian, don't you?" Jules asked.

"N-no. I was gonna ask how…" she paused and looked confused. "Robian?"

"Roboticized Mobian. You know, it's a play on words."

"Oh… well, actually, that was what I was gonna ask you."

"Alright then…" the metal father then sat down, and Maria sat next to him. "Hmmm… where to begin?" he thought aloud, then he knew where the story should start. "Long ago, on Mobius, we had a time called the Great War, a five-year conflict between us Mobians and the Overlanders. I was on the front lines back in the day, your Uncle Chuck was a medical officer, and your mother was raising our seven-year-old Sonic."

"Oh, yeah," his 'daughter' replied. "Sonic told me a bit about that. Weren't 'Overlanders' what you called humans back then?"

"That's right," he replied. "Anyway, during one of my missions to save some comrades, I was shot from behind by an enemy trooper. I survived…barely, but I was badly wounded. Charles did all he could to save me, but he was running out of resources and time. Soon, he was down to one last option…"

"The Roboticizer… the medical revolution made by humans."

"Oh, it would've been, if it wasn't for what happened next…"

* * *

In his laboratory, Charles Hedgehog was checking the insides and outs of the machine. He wanted to make sure the Roboticizer was ready, because he didn't want to lose his brother. As he was finishing up, a Mobian duck came in. He was pushing a wheelchair seating a dying hedgehog man. Behind them, his wife and son followed. The elder hedgehog stopped what he was doing and helped the duck load him into the machine.

Once the glass chamber was brought down, the child Sonic came up to it. "Be careful, Daddy."

Bernadette turned to her brother-in-law. "Charles, are you sure this will work? I don't want to be a widow."

"Not to worry, Bernie," he replied. "I've triple-checked the blueprints and scanned to ensure every piece was in place. I also made a few tests in advance. All my calculations say that this will be affective. When it works, you'll have your husband back."

The purple hedgehog smiled, knowing he was right. She then picked up her son and backed away. She came beside Charles, who was configuring with the control panel.

He grabbed the lever that would kick it into gear, but before pulling it, he looked at Jules in the machine. "This is for you, brother…" He pulled the lever, and the machine activated. A glow came over the mortally wounded hedgehog and he was starting to transform…

Slowly, yet surely, the machine transformed the hedgehog's wounded limbs into steel. When it became enough, Jules stood up on his own, looked at the trio… and smiled. They laughed and cheered as they were going to be one big happy family again.

Suddenly, sparks started to come out of the control panel, and soon a red electrical charge ran through the rest of Jules' body. He made a terrifying shriek as more of him was roboticized.

"No! _**NO**_!" Charles desperately pulled the shut-down lever to get him out, but it wouldn't budge.

Soon, Jules' face started to transform. His mouth was segmented into two parts, and his quills became steel. His ears became all metallic and the whites of his eyes were now black. He continued to scream until the process was finished. He was roboticized from head to toe.

The Roboticizer opened and green smoke poured out of the cylinder, the newly robotic hedgehog walked out of the machine slowly.

"Jules…?" his wife asked nervously.

Two red, demonic optics kicked on where his brown eyes once were. "Unit One: activated. Priority one: detect master unit."

The robot's son yelled, "Daddy! No!"

"This unit is not your father, organic life form. This unit is robotic." He said in a cold, mindless, synthetic voice.

A hoarse laugh came from the background. The three fleshy ones looked to see an old human with an orange mustache and a belly that jiggled like jelly. "Success! A brilliant success!"

Charles jumped between him and the other two. "Who are you? And what have you done to my brother?"

"Permit me to introduce myself," he began. "I am Ivo Robotnik. I've come here to conquer this world and enslave all, human and Mobian alike, and the Roboticizer is all that I need for this." He then turned to Jules. "Unit One, throw them in and turn it on."

"Yes, master." He said. He grabbed his wife and threw her in, and then he activated the medical miracle, now a weapon of doom.

"Jules! Please! It's me, your wife!" Her shouts were short lived as the roboticization process kicked in. This time it was much faster, lasting only seconds. "Unit Two: activated."

"Mommy!" Sonic cried. He threw a piece of metal at Robotnik, hitting him clean on the head. "You bad man!"

"So, you dare to defy me, do you?" He commanded Sonic's parents to throw him in. Sonic was picked up by his Uncle Chuck, and they ran off.

But he wasn't fast enough. Jules and Bernadette caught up to them, but Charles threw his nephew outside the lab.

"Uncle Chuck!"

"Forget about me, Sonny Boy! Save yourself!" he shouted as his brother and sister-in-law dragged him back to the lab. The young boy decided to do as he was told.

Sonic ran off into an open field. When he saw no robots were chasing him, the hedgehog boy began to cry. All he wanted was to be comforted by his family, but now he was completely alone… or so he thought.

"Having problems today, son?" asked a voice from behind. An old Mobian owl showed up with a warm, friendly smile.

Sonic didn't respond at first. He wasn't sure who he could trust without his parents. "Y-yeah. My mom and dad and Uncle Chuck are gone… probably forever. A bad man turned them bad with a 'Robot-a-sizer.'"

The owl put a finger to his beak. "Hmm… I've heard rumors of a blue hedgehog that ran faster than sound to escape Robotnik. Would that be you by chance?"

"Uh-huh. I'm Sonic the Hedgehog."

"Harvey Who." The owl then sat down beside him. "Tell me, Sonic… What if I were to tell you that we could save your family from this 'bad man?'"

"You… you could do that?" Sonic turned cheerful.

"Young lad, with your special talents, we can do that and more. We could end this meaningless war, stop Robotnik, and restore peace to Mobius."

"Then... I'll help you. I want my family back."

"And you will get them back," the owl assured him. "Welcome to the Freedom Fighters, Sonic the Hedgehog."

* * *

Maria sighed. The more tales of Eggman she heard, the more she felt her family name had crumbled. "So Ivo… I mean, 'Eggman,' sabotaged the Roboticizer, and Sonic had to live without you."

Jules nodded. "That's why he became a Freedom Fighter in the first place."

"But wait... how did Mom and Uncle Chuck change back to normal? And why not you?"

"Well, after the war, an alien race called the Bem de-roboticized the Robians, one by one. There were few exceptions, like myself, and they had a good reason. They told me that the wounds I had received during the war were so critical, that if the process were to be reversed… it would…" the mechanical hedgehog looked upset. "It would kill me. So instead, they restored my free will and my memories."

Maria looked at Jules with pity. "Do you miss being a Mobian?"

Jules sighed again. "Yes… It's like I'm a ghost made of steel," he told her. "I can't eat. I can't sleep. I can't hold my wife or children and feel their warmth… I miss being alive."

Maria was mute for a moment. She could see how much her adoptive father hated his body, and she wished she could help him. So the girl made a decision. "I can try to change you back!" she said, cheerfully.

"What?" Jules asked surprised. "Don't be ridiculous. The man who invented that thing-"

"…was my grandfather," interrupted Maria. "I saw him build the machine myself, and I've learned all its mechanics and programming. I'm certain I can find a way to reverse the process and save you." She placed her hands on her father's cold, metal shoulders. "I promise you… maybe not before Christmas, but someday... no more Unit One. I'll make you Jules Hedgehog again."

If Robians in his day could move their mouths, Jules would be beaming from cheek to cheek. "Such a compassionate heart… I guess the Robotnik family isn't so bad after all." He then embraced her new daughter, and she returned the gesture. Maria smiled, though Jules didn't notice. Being able to help those in need always satisfied her inside.

"Uncle Jules! Cousin Maria!" Manic called out. "Where are you two?"

"Oh… Coming!" Maria laughed, and she and her father went to the living room to finish decorating the Christmas tree.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 **The Warning**

* * *

It was a dark and cold night. A light blizzard slowly began to sweep over the city. Two figures wearing hooded robes forged through the white storm. Soon, they found it… a bar where they would meet their rendezvous.

The shorter one knocked on the door. A smaller sliding door opened on it, and two eyes peered through. "Password?" asked a rusty voice.

"Doom and gloom," the taller one replied in a dark tone. The being opened the door from his side and allowed the two to enter. They scanned the room to see if they would find anything suspicious. But the bar was nothing but. From the seedy atmosphere to the menacing eyes of patrons within.

The bar was frequented by Mobians and Robians, both partial and full. None of them defected into the Kingdom of Knothole. Instead, they keep to themselves, not wanting to be involved, hoping the evil despot will not notice them.

Soon, they find their contact… another hooded robe in a booth in the far corner. The two slowly approached the booth, their senses at full alert. The shorter one tapped the shoulder of the one sitting down, and spoke, asking, "What did the snowman say to the other snowman?"

The man in the seat turned and revealed his red echidna face. "Ice to see you," he replied.

The short one removed his hood. "My name is Hog. Hedge Hog, agent of G.U.N." Shadow smirked. He had never done a role play before. "…and this is my colleague, Agent Thorn."

Chris Thorndyke unhooded himself as well. "State your code name and business," he said, still in character.

"I have none. It's just Knuckles…"

The cyborg human sighed. "C'mon, Knuckles. You got to make it a little fun," he said in his normal voice. "The moment we walked in here, we were pretending to be undercover agents, and that this was to collect top secret information."

"Well, stick around," the red one replied. "I had to bring work on vacation with me."

"What do you mean?" Shadow asked.

"Vector and Charmy are meeting us here. They told me they had to tell us something important."

"And what about Espio?"

"He's on a mission behind enemy lines. Said he'd be back by tomorrow night."

"Alone?" Chris asked.

"You know Espio… he thinks he can do anything."

* * *

Their reptilian friend was rightfully boastful. Even when he was face to face with the enemy, he could go unseen. Being a Mobian chameleon, he could climb any surface and appear invisible to the rest of the world. It does not, however, make him invulnerable.

But what was he doing aboard the Dark Egg? What secret does he seek to uncover? And should he find any secrets, what would he do with them?

As he made his way toward his target location, he took cover in a corridor rarely visited by Badniks. He peeked out the door to watch as a pair of Dark Hunters patroled the hallway. He backed away slowly to hide in the shadows when he bumped into something. Espio turned quickly, his shurikens at the ready. "What...? What is this?"

There stood a large machine. It was shaped like a large gold ring with wires all over. Many pieces were either disconnected or forcefully torn off. In front of it was a control panel covered in a tghick layer of dust. The chameleon brushed it away to see the name of the device. "The Chrono-Tron... Prototype time portal... patent pending Space Colony ARK... Must've been torn apart for Eggman's robot horde." He decided to forge on.

* * *

Back at the bar, Vector and Charmy finally appear. "Sorry we're late," the latter said. "The snowstorm really held us back."

"I understand. We had troubles ourselves," Shadow replied.

After they say down, Chris asked them what they needed to tell them. Vector looked nervously at Shadow, saying, "I'm glad you're here, Shadow... It's about Maria."

The ebony Mobian shrugged. "I already told you: we're not in a romantic relationship!"

"It's more complicated than that," the crocodile said back. This caught the black hedgehog's attention. "The G.U.N. has issued a warrant for a potential serial killer. The freak's targets are young human girls. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and ironically, the same first name… Maria."

The three being spoken looked to each other in worry. Those were all of Maria's traits. The only difference was that their Maria has now a hedgehog.

Vector continued to issue the dilemma. "In the past couple of months, there have been five different assassinations, each on a different continent. At first, they thought those were coincidental, but the most recent one came with what looks like a threat." He turned to the bee beside him. "Charmy, show them."

The little one pulled out a picture and showed it to the G.U.N. agent. On it were strange markings carved onto a stone wall. One would easily tell it was recent because of the pieces of rubble on the ground around the dead body. "They're still trying to decipher the message." the bee said.

Chris and Knuckles each took a quick look as well. The red one's eyes widened. "Vokulot fen alok einzuk. Joore kosiir," he said. "It's a warning."

"You know this language?" Shadow asked.

Knuckles nodded. "It's the ancient tongue of the Guardians. And if I'm reading this correctly, it says, 'The great evil will rise again. Mortals beware.'"

Silence filled the small booth. Nobody spoke, and nobody moved. Nobody from other tables seemed to notice.

"So," Chris broke the silence, "do you know these murderers?"

"Can't say that I do," the red one replied. "But whoever they are, they're certain that the lost warriors of the prophecy really exist."

"What warriors?" Vector asked.

"What prophecy?" Charmy added.

"Come with me," he told them. "I'll explain everything when we get to the Knothole library." So the red Echidna led the others out of the bar…

* * *

Meanwhile, the Freedom Fighter chameleon made it to Eggman's main computer. A seemingly infinite source of the world's knowledge, and the only one for Eggman's latest plots... It also contained documents nobody, not even Eggman, knew existed.

Espio plugged in a small device, and pressed a small button. The device did its thing, and the computer allowed him in. "Alright, Doctor, let's see what bones you have in your closet," he said to himself. He clicked on a small address bar near the top of the screen and typed in the word, 'Maria.' "Why did you bring her back?"

Many documents appeared, most of which dated back to the days of the ARK in its prime. He searched through carefully, but no useful information was discovered. Near the end of his search, he found a lone folder containing only two video files. One was addressed to Shadow, the other to Maria. Aroused with curiosity, he clicked on the first of the two.

An old man appeared on the screen. It was Professor Gerald Robotnik, Eggman's and Maria's grandfather. He was in what appeared to be a hospital bed, and he made multiple coughing noises. "Hello, Shadow," he began. "Sorry. I'ma bit under the weather. They say I'll be fine, but I wanted to record this just to be safe." He coughed again before he continued. "Anyway, we've found a way to save Maria. Professor Andersen gave her a Soul Catcher, a stone that can undo death. And soon, we'll be able to re-create her with science."

Espio sighed. He already knew this story. He was just about to click out when Gerald spoke again.

"But that's not why I made this... I've accidentally found out that Maria wants to be remade as a hedgehog, like you. This is because… her feelings for you are the same as yours for her." Gerald smiled in a fatherly way. "Do both of yourselves a favor: when she's remade, go to her, look her in the eye, and tell her how you fell. Live the happy life you always wanted. That's all I want when I move on to the next life… and remember what I said. Love is the most powerful emotion in life. Always believe in it." With that said, the video reached its end.

Espio rubbed his chin, suspiciously. "Why would you hide this, Doctor?" He plugged in a flash drive and copied the two documents onto it. "In any case, I think those two should see these…" he smiled.

As he began to pack up and escape, he meant to click a close button, but instead clicked into another document. It quickly showed him not Eggman's… but Makuta's plan.

A complete, horrifying, unstoppable plan… "Oh, no…"

Despite all his training, he panicked and ran out the door, leaving his documents behind. His panic was quickly noticed by a Dark Hunter, which would cost him dearly.

* * *

But nobody in New Knothole would know that, would they? At the public library. There, he collected some books old enough to belong to Roman Emperors. As he explained, he showed them multiple visual images.

"It's an ancient foretelling from my ancestors," Knuckles began. "The great evil mentioned earlier is known by us Echidnas as the 'Exiled One.' He is the only known member of an immortal race, collectively called the Kendov. Despite their superior power, the Kendov were a peaceful folk, devoted to protecting the universe... except for the Exiled One, who schemed to reshape creation in his image. When the others found out, they imprisoned him in the bowels of this planet, hence his name."

Shadow seemed nervous, and for good reason. He knew where this was going.

"He grows stronger as we speak, seeking only to conquer all, but legend foretells of his defeat. Our only hope lies in the hands of a man and a woman, whom united are known as–"

"The Jul Kendov," Shadow cut in. "These chosen two shall descend from a city in the heavens in search of the True Power of the Great Spirit, and through it, fair Mundus shall be freed from the great evil."

This silenced the group once more, but more briefly this time. "How did you know that?" Knuckles asked in awe.

"I met the Kendov earlier this year. I know this because…" the Ultimate Lifeform almost started to choke in his fear. "Maria and I are the Jul Kendov."

Everyone was understandably shocked. Shadow then began to tell his friends everything he knew on the subject. He told them how Makuta tried to kill them on the ARK, but instead, merely separated them. He also told them of how Maria and Shadow were reunited after exactly fifty years since her supposed death, just as it was foretold.

Then he turned to the human beside him. "You were right, Chris. Maria was meant to return, but not in the way you thought. It's not because fate wants us together… it's because fate needs us together. We're the only hope that stands between everything and total destruction."

"Does Maria know about this?" Chris replied.

Shadow shook his head. "…or at least I don't think she does. I didn't want to tell her, but I've secretly been looking for this 'true ultimate power' while I am away on my missions. Still no luck… and I'm beginning to think we'll run out of time. It's starting to seem hopeless…"

"Nonsense!" the crocodile blurted out. "Shadow, did you give up when Biolizard tried to destroy the world with the ARK?"

"N-No…" Shadow replied.

"Vector's right," Charmy added. "And did you give up when those creepy aliens attacked and tried to use you against us?"

"No."

"And did you give up when Eclipse tried to pull you back to the dark side?" Knuckles included.

"No, I didn't!" Shadow banged his fist against the table.

"Right," Chris added. "You were made from one of the greatest threats we ever knew, yet you defied them to save us. And Maria stared death in the face and came back. All you've been through, and you're still here. You can find the power, and you can save the universe."

Shadow smiled. With friends like these, he almost forgot why he thought people feared him. "You're right. We can, and we will!" He then stood up and headed for the door.

"Where're you going?" Knuckles asked.

"To Sonic's house," he replied. "If Maria doesn't know about the prophecy, she needs to." Off he went, to perhaps the most important decision he made thus far.

His friends were pleased. The Shadow they once knew was back, ready to save the world… all worlds, and they were proud to have helped get his hope and perseverance back.

* * *

Perhaps Espio would think the same… if he wasn't running for his life, fighting Dark Hunters, that is. But it serves him right.

Soon, the enemy creatures had chased him into a corner. The chameleon pressed his back against it, pulling out his only weapon, throwing stars. But he didn't have enough to fend off this many. They didn't open fire upon him, much to the spy's surprise, but they were ready to do so.

Then the exiled Kendov emerged from the crowd. It held out its hand, and an orb of energy emerged from it.

Sweat dropped from Espio's brow. He panted more out of exhaustion than fear. "I've seen your plan… I know what you're going to do," he said. "It will never work! They will stop you! They will save us all!"

Makuta laughed. "You mustn't have read the plan clearly..." A blast came from the creature's arm. It engulfed the Mobian's entire body, and he disappeared. "They don't stand a chance..."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 **Scourge of the Night**

* * *

Later that same evening, Shadow made his way down a marketplace. He heard from Nicole that it was the fastest way to get to Sonic's house. Surprisingly, a few of the stores were still open.

All the while, Shadow thought of how he should tell her about this. It seemed to be on the same level with him confessing his feelings for her, which he never succeeded in. He rubbed his eyelids, frustrated with himself.

Suddenly, the coal Mobian bumped into someone... Rotor the Walrus. "Oh, sorry. I didn't see you coming."

"That's alright. I-!" Then the walrus saw who he bumped into. "Oh, hey... You're Shadow, right? What brings you to this side of town?"

"I was just passing through. I need to see someone in the neighborhood ahead."

"You mean Mariah? Or was it Maria?"

The coal hedgehog chuckled. "You can call her Angel if you want. A number of her friends do."

"Well, it's getting close to Christmas. Maybe you should get something for her if you haven't already." With that said, Rotor left for home.

Although the walrus wasn't serious, Shadow couldn't help but think about what Rotor said. 'He might be onto something.' As he thought that, he passed by a store. Something in the window stood out to him. A sterling silver necklace. It had a blue crystal heart embedded in silver as well. 'Hmmm…'

The temptation was strong and the flesh was weak that night. He walked in. A Mobian wolf stood behind the counter. "Oh, a customer," he exclaimed. "Welcome to T. W. Barker's. How can I help you, sir?" he asked.

Shadow pointed behind him. "That necklace in the window... is that for sale?"

The owner grinned. "Ah, a special prize for you, my friend. I believe five thousand Rings is a fair price."

"Five thousand?!" Shadow was shocked. "I just wanted the necklace, not the entire store!"

"I know that, but there is a special tale behind that necklace," the broker replied. "According to legend, the ancient Echidna Guardian, Tikal, was given this necklace by the prince of the Nocturnus Clan. It was a forbidden love which ended in a secret marriage before the Master Emerald. The Emerald's power influenced the necklace in its presence that day. It is said that if the giver and the receiver are truly in love with one another, the crystal heart would glow like the stars in the night sky."

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"That's how the legend went. Love is said to be a powerful feeling, you know. But alas, nobody since then has ever seen the necklace glow."

The ebony hedgehog stood silently, processing all he had been told. Then, he chuckled. If the wolf was trying to persuade him into a con… it didn't work. "You know, my friend can tell better lies than you. And she's lousy."

"Whoa, it isn't a lie. That there's the necklace of the legend."

"If that's really the case, the necklace should be in a museum, not a pawnshop. That either tells me you're a thief, a lousy con artist, or both."

"Alright, Mr. Bargain," Barker said in an annoyed tone. "Five _hundred_ Rings, and that's my final offer."

"Deal." He laid the money down, and in turn, he was given the necklace in a black velvet box.

"Would you like it giftwrapped? It's free."

* * *

Soon, he made his way to the Hedgehog home. At the door, Jules greeted them warmly. After saying their hellos and getting inside, Shadow was the first to talk. "First of all, thank you for answering the door at such a late hour. I realize what an inconvinience this must be-!"

"Don't worry about it. I don't sleep as a Robian avbnyway." Interrupted the father of the Blue Blur.

"Oh... okay... Now, onto my main point. Is Maria awake? I need to talk to her."

Jules pointed to the couch. There, the blonde hedgehog lay asleep.

"Is she okay?" he asked.

"She's fine," Jules replied. "She was a bit worn out from shopping with her mother and the girls, so after she put her clothes away, she fell asleep watching TV."

Shadow thought for a moment, and he decided he would wait until tomorrow to tell her. He was just about to leave when Jules stopped him.

"Why don't you stay for the night?" he offered. "I heard there's a chance of another cold front tonight." The black and red hedgehog gladly accepted his offer. Why turn down his hospitality, he thought.

Shadow watched as Maria's adoptive father left to prepare the guest room. He glanced at his sleeping friend on the couch. She seemed so cute while she slept. Then the black hedgehog could also hear Maria sleep-talking.

She softly muttered his name with a smile. It was quiet, but it was clear enough for him to hear it, and it made him blush. Whether dream or reality, it felt comforting to know that she was thinking of him.

The G.U.N. agent covered her with a blanket to prevent her from becoming too cold. He then turned out the lights, and he started to leave for the guest room. But out on the yard, there arose such a clatter. Shadow froze on the spot to see what was the matter.

The window creaked open, and a green hedgehog in a black leather jacket crawled inside. He snickered quietly as he saw the blonde Mobian asleep on the couch. "This'll be too easy…"

Suddenly the green one heard a voice. "Good evening. Scourge, isn't it?"

He was shocked to say the least that somebody in here knew his name. In the darkness, he spotted a silhouette with two bright spots, which he believed to be the eyes, looking at him. "Long time no see, Sonic," he hissed.

"If I had a penny for every time I was mistaken for him…" the being turned on a lamp, revealing its form.

Scourge chuckled as he saw who it was. "Ah, so that would make you Shadow. Hey there, 'Faker.'"

"Given how late it is, I'm guessing this isn't a cordial visit."

"I'm just here to collect the blonde chick for ransom. Now, step aside, and leave me to my business."

Shadow sighed as he sat on the easy chair. "You know, that 'chick' gave up her life to save mine."

Scourge laughed. "Want her to be the queen or something?"

"No. I just want you to understand that I will do what it takes to keep her safe… even if that means returning the favor."

"Cute. The wittle bwack hedgehog pwetending he's not afwaid of me."

"What's to fear? Your world is the opposite of Sonic's, right?"

"In some ways, but–"

"His world is full of good men and women, who work together for a brighter future." Shadow pointed at Scourge and continued, "That tells me your world is full of cowards, each of them doing their part to ruin their world. That's why you don't scare me. Because I know, at your core… you are a coward, too."

"Coward?!" Scourge snarled. He pointed at the crown upon his head. "I conquered a planet on my own, and I'm ruling it with an iron fist! How is that cowardice?!"

"You brought a different brand of ruination," Shadow replied silently.

The green one sneered at the black one. "Try again, old-timer. On my world, we had a time called the 'Great Peace'. My dad was a part of that. He brought everyone together in one big group-hug." He held a hand up and clenched his fist. "Ten years later, everything had stagnated and broke apart. I didn't ruin the world. I simply woke it up!"

"Is that your answer to everything? Violent takeover and anarchy?"

"Well, not really 'anarchy' since everyone bows to me." He crossed his arms, grinning evilly. "Since you seem so hung up on the correlations, how do you like this one: Sonic's dad isn't really a Mobian anymore. Blondie's dad technically isn't her dad. My dad... simply isn't."

Shadow looked away from the irritating hedgehog. "Stop trying to be scary. That falls short when the 'Mighty, World-Conquering King' has to sneak in during the middle of the night to get a leg up on my friend," he said with a strong hint of anger.

Scourge growled at him, and he jumped, standing on his lap. "Little Boy Blue is really quite good at defeating his foes!" He leaned in closer. "Want to see what the real me can do?"

Shadow felt anger overflow inside him. He shoved Scourge in the chest, causing him to fall onto the floor. "You are not the real Sonic." He glared down at the selfish hedgehog. "Unlike you, he's a mature adult who acts with his heart. A pure and honest hero, who would risk his life to save those he loves. Even I'm jealous of him sometimes."

Scourge pushed himself back toward the window as Shadow moved towards him.

"And while you may not care about losing your family, I'm certain the real Sonic will be very upset to lose the sister he only had for a few short months. Do you want that burden on your shoulders, too?" he asked angrily.

The green hedgehog was on the verge of crying. Sweat dripped down his face and he pushed himself onto the window sill. He turned and whimpered, tears streaming down his face. "J-just a bunch of empty words…" He sobbed silently and he climbed back out the window. "Our worlds aren't so different after all…"

Shadow sighed as he watched the enemy run off into the darkness. Hopefully, the bully had learned his lesson, and if not... nothing in the universe could prevent Shadow from protecting his friend. As he closed the window Scourge left open, Shadow heard an odd murmur. He turned around to realize it was Maria. She was tossing and turning, the faint sound of horrified screams slowly growing louder.

He quickly approached her and shook her gently. "Maria. Maria! Wake up!"

"No! Stay away from me!" she cried as she awoke frantically looking around. She spotted Shadow.

"It's okay, Maria," he told her. "Please, calm down."

But Maria couldn't relax. She panted in fear before she responded. "I saw it… The world was destroyed! Chaos Emeralds… millions of them… flying right toward me…!"

Shadow tried shushing her quietly. "It's alright. It was just a bad dream."

"N-No… it wasn't," she replied, rendering her friend speechless. "Listen. I have something important to tell you, and I should've told you months ago."

"What is it?" he asked. The hedgehog girl took off one of her gloves, and Shadow gazed in wonder. 'She knows...'

On her hand was a glowing crystal ring. "This ring is supposed to control all the Chaos Emeralds in the universe. You and I are tasked to guard this ring and find something called 'Ziilot Suleyk,' or 'True Ultimate Power.' We even have to fight a creature bent on ruling the universe," She then let out a sniffle. "I know it sounds crazy. You just have to let me prove myself, and–!"

"You've nothing to prove," Shadow cut in. He took his glove off to show a ring that looked exactly like hers. "I believe you."

"There's… two of them?" Shadow nodded. After he had made his explanation, she lowered her head, ready to embrace the worst. Unexpectedly, he heard a soft whimper come from her. Maria was the first to speak. "I… I'm scared."

"Scared? Of what?"

"I'm scared for us… for all of us," she replied. "What if I were to die before then?"

"You won't." Shadow answered.

"How can you be so sure? What… what if…?"

"Maria," he jumped in and took her hands into his. This silenced her. "I made a promise to myself, after I found out you were alive. I failed to protect you once before... I'm not letting that happen ever again. Either way, I'm confident that we will save the universe, no matter what."

"Shadow…" she breathed silently. Without warning, she wrapped her arms around him, not wanting to let go. "Thank you, Shadow... Thank you so much…"

The black hedgehog returned the embraceand held her tight. As he tried to comfort her, his concerned feeling turned into something he only felt around Maria. 'Is it wrong to be in love with my best friend?' he thought to himself. 'I guess the only thing is I don't know if the feeling is mutual.'

Once he thought that she was asleep once more, he gently had her lay back down then started to walk away… until she grabbed his hand. "Shadow? Could you… stay with me? For a little longer?" she asked with an innocent smile on her face.

Shadow could see his friend was still a little traumatized. "Okay…" After kicking off his shoes, he snuggled under the blanket with Maria. And although she was scared just minutes earlier, she soon found herself drifting off into a peaceful slumber in the arms of her one true love.

The door closed nearby, and Sonic turned away with a smirk. "Too easy…"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

 **The Hidden Temple**

* * *

"Cubot? Cubot, where are you?" Orbot moved through one of the halls, searching for his edged counterpart. Eggman charged the two to clean up the mess that Espio made earlier. But only Orbot was present at that time. Cubot had gone missing.

He noticed an open door to his left and saw the lights within were shut off. The rounded robot ducked under the open door and looked around. "Cubot, are you in here?" He kicked on his optic flashlights and looked around. It seemed to be that there was nothing in there.

But then, something fell from the ceiling. It was a splotch of oil. "My word…" He looked up. Above him was an overhead door with its opening rope left dangling. Orbot pulled the rope and opened the hatch. Several things fell as Orbot shielded himself with his arms. He looked down and one of the objects nearly scared him to the point of it frying his circuits.

Cubot's head.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another part of the Death Egg, Makuta and Eclipse were examining their captive chameleon. They were accompanied by a couple of Eggman's robots. Espio slowly reawakened from being unconscious. He saw that the other two were talking. The chameleon banged against the glass chamber he was inside of in order to escape.

"Ah, the enemy awakens, ready to submit to our authority," Eclipse grinned.

"Never!" Espio snarled.

Makuta gazed upon the horizon through the window. He watched as the sun began to disappear, beginning the night. "Soon, the sun will set upon this world, never to rise again. There is nothing to stop this. What have I to fear?"

"The Jul Kendov," replied the chameleon. "I know of the prophecy. When they find the power, and they will, they'll come after you."

"I have an army, I have defeated my brethren, and with my newly reacquired power, I have prevented them from finding it for half of a century."

"That's not the point. There is no point where you come out on top. Maybe you conquer this world, and maybe the rest of the universe as well, but it's all on you. Because He has His way no matter what."

"But you shall not witness it as you are…" Makuta then revealed he already had five Chaos Emeralds. This shocked Espio greatly. "Behold, the power of darkness!"

A black surge of energy coursing into him. Espio yelled in pain. It was too much for him to handle. Soon, his purple scales started to turn dark and ugly. Spikes grew all over his head and down his back. An extra set of arms grew out from under his original ones. His eyes were now fully black with what looked like yellow pupils.

A horrifying shriek came from Espio's voice. The two robots sped between him and the other two. The now corrupted Espio burst through the glass and lunged at the machines, tearing them apart with either his claws or his teeth.

Eclipse was shocked with fear. "That is your plan?! Make the enemy stronger?!"

"He is no longer an enemy," replied Makuta. "Just a savage beast, its only instinct to obey me." He gazed at Espio. "Vuth. Desist."

Espio stopped at once and kneeled before them. "Makuta unahzaal kroniid."

Not too long aterward, Eclipse left. Makuta stayed where he was and looked up. "Koraav fos lost vinalaan. See what I have reclaimed. And this is just the start. Soon, those two mortals will be gone. And the universe of mortals will end."

" **You are fooling yourself,** " a voice replied. " **Your destiny has not changed from the start. You shall not have Mundus, and you will not have** _ **him**_ **.** "

"You are the fool here. I do not even _**want**_ him. When I am free of him, I will have my revenge."

Suddenly there was another voice. "Somebody! Anybody!" It was Orbot. In his arms were the pieces of the edged one. "Master Makuta! It's Cubot! He's been disassembled!"

Makuta merely scoffed at him. "Look at you... you who were once so proud. Bo nu ahrk neh daal. Go now, and never return. "

This angered Orbot greatly. But he was too concerned with Cubot to argue back, so he left to find someone else.

* * *

Not too far outside of New Knothole, it seemed a peaceful day. In the stillness of the cold forest, snowshoe hares, young deer and other small animals silently treaded the snow. The creek with very few areas frozen allowed for drink as the animals quietly look around seeking any signs of food or danger.

One small doe turned its head to the distance as a sound quickly rose from within. The other animals did the same, hearing the strange noise. But before any of them could find out what it was, two shapes quickly thundered by, causing the wildlife to disperse in cower.

While the blue hedgehog didn't mean to, he couldn't help it. It had been too long since he had felt the wind against his skin. His female counterpart had her wings spread out, and while she was slow on foot, she could keep up with her brother by air.

"You may be a graceful flyer," remarked Sonic, "but I know this forest like the back of my hand!"

Maria didn't respond. She ducked and dodged the branches as they sped past her. A twirl through the branches, though, and she was ahead.

"Heh… not bad. My turn!" The blue hedgehog spun, cracking the branches ahead and bouncing against the trunks. In seconds, he was back in the lead. He looked back to give a taunting wave toward Angel.

But as he turned back, he was met face to face with a low branch. It bowed against his weight, and then shot back into shape. The blue hedgehog was shot back, hitting two different trees before crashing in an open area. Angel landed in front of him as he shook the snow from his head and looked up. "Missed a freckle on your hand?" she asked jokingly. After helping him up, she turned toward the opening and was awe-struck.

There stood what seemed to be a lost palace. Covered with a combination of frost and old wilted vines, it stood about as largely as a four story building.

Sonic glanced in the same direction. "Hm, that's new..."

The winged hedgehog and her brother approached the ancient building. In mere seconds, they were at the mouth of the temple. The was no door, so anybody could go inside.

Sonic glanced at his sister. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"That," Maria began, "depends on whether or not you're thinking about exploring the temple that might be full of booby traps which we can either run from or use Chaos Shield to protect ourselves with ease."

"Actually, I was thinking of getting a penini press for Chris' Christmas present," the blue one joked in reply. "But that's a better idea!"

The two began their venture into the temple. Surprisingly, there were no traps for them to dodge as they came into the main chamber. It was actually quite pleasant. The interior looked like a palacd made of marble. The light within felt so warm, it was almost as though they were standing outside on a pleasant summer afternoon.

"Oh, my... It's so beautiful!" she said with tears in her eyes.

"I've never seen anything like this," added Sonic. "Who knows? This place is probably older than the Ancient Echidnas." The blue hedgehog gave her sign to follow, and she did. While they ventured though the chamber, they continued to bask in the glory of the ancient building.

As they reached the end of the main chamber, they found some form of mural on the back wall. Images were carved into said wall fron one side of the border to the other, and it almost stretched all across the wall.

Two siblings eyeballed the mural with outstanding curiosity. Neither were sure where this craftsmanship came from, but they were enlightened to find it. When they, both got to the center of the picture, their eyes widened. The canter had a monstrous reptilian beast with seven heads. Each head was directed toward a center point: two humanoid beings that look ready to fight.

"How is that possible?" asked Sonic in awe to his sister. "Those two look just like you and Shadow!"

Her sister glanced down. Below the image, there was some form of written message carved into the wall. She placed a hand onto the writing, and the ring on it began to pulse light. How it came to be remained a mystery, but she was somehow able to read the message.

 _"_ _On the Year of Gold, the man of dark and the woman of light will descend to and travel the realm below their home land. These chosen, the Protectors of Man, two shall search for the True Power of the Great Spirit. And when the hearts of dark and light become one, the True Power_ _will blossom, and even death will be overcome."_

"I've heard of that prophecy." Then, Sonic stood silently for a short time. "Wait a minute…"

* * *

After they left the temple, as they walked back to New Knothole, Maria told Sonic as much as he could take. He took it surprisingly well, despite knowing how long they have been searching. "And all this time, I thought it was just because you had a crush on Shadow."

"How did you know about my feelings for him?"

"Because you just asked me, Poindexter."

Maria blushed. It was getting harder for her to keep it a secret with every passing week.

"This probably isn't my business, but I take it you haven't told him?"

Maria stopped moving, and so did he. "How can I…? Shadow's always treated me like a sister, like you treat me. If I tell him how I feel, and if he doesn't feel the same, it could ruin everything. But if I don't, he might fall for someone else eventually, or he might find out and get mad for me not telling him... Either way, I lose... What can I do?"

Her brother smirked, knowing just what to do. He walked back to her and grabbed her arm without warning.

"Sonic?"

He started to run with her, slowly building up his speed.

"Sonic, wait!" she shouted. "I can't run that fast!"

"Don't worry!" he assured her. "Speed is in your blood!"

They ran alongside each other, holding hands. It wasn't Sonic Speed, but it was still faster than normal. Maria started to enjoy the thrill. The feeling of speed always did make her feel happy and free.

* * *

Eventually, they came back to Freedom HQ. They sat down by the entrance for a moment so that she could catch her breath. "Feels great, doesn't it?" Sonic asked as she sat next to him.

"Yes," she breathed. "I-I didn't know I could run so fast..."

"Nothing starts until you take action," said Sonic. "If you spend too much time worrying about it, you'll never get it done." He helped her back up to her feet, and they entered the Great Oak Slide and slid into the base.

At the bottom of the slide, they met up with Shadow and Rouge, who both just returned from a mission. "Hey, guys. You'll never guess what Sonic and I found." Maria was just about start telling them about it when she noticed something with Shadow. "You're hurt!"

The black hedgehog looked at his body. On his upper arm was a gash from where he had been shot. "what, this? It's nothing."

"Don't say that." Maria tended to Shadow's wound. In the process, she accidentally knocked his Chaos Emerald onto the ground. She picked it up and stared at it for a second. 'I wonder…' the hedgehog girl held the Emeralds with both hands over her black friend.

"What're you doing?"

Maria gave her friend a signal to keep quiet. She then closed her eyes and focused. "Chaos Restore..." she said softly.

The G.U.N. agent felt a tingling sensation flow within his body. It felt as though he was being tickled all over. When the feeling diminished, Shadow looked down at his body. No bruise, no bleeding… he was as healthy as a horse. Shadow whistled in astonishment. "I gotta remember that one…"

Rouge grew slightly upset. As much as she wanted to deny it, she had been jealous of the blonde hedgehog since her return.

Then, there was the sound of a soft, low-tone gurgling. It sounded like it came from Maria.

"Maria, was that you?" Shadow chuckled.

"I guess I'm getting a little hungry... Why do you ask?" she replied.

"Well, it's been awhile since we got to hang out together... you know, like way back when, so... I was thinking maybe we could... go out for dinner tonight."

"Out? You mean just us two?"

"If you want to, of course."

Maria was slightly surprised, but she still smiled. "I'd love to," she said sweetly.

Sonic then gave Shadow a friendly bump. "You know, my Uncle Chuck owns a diner on the other side of the city. Freedom Fighters get their first meal free."

Shadow smirked. "I'll think about it. Thanks." He then left for his motorcycle, and Maria followed.

Rouge shrugged and turned to Sonic. "Alright, tell me anything: What does Blondie have that I don't?" she asked as she left.

* * *

Much later, the bat sat on an old log, staring down at the Lake of Rings. At that moment, a gold Ring appeared from the waters. She watched as the ripples patted against the shore. While the sound of water was somewhat soothing, she couldn't stop thinking of losing Shadow to Maria.

As she was lost in thought, she didn't hear the sound of footsteps approach. It was Antoine. He had come by to collect the Ring, as was his occasional job. But of course, the Ring was not the only thing he found. "Ah, I know zat face," he said to her. "Tis ze face zat says 'ze love of your life is falling for a fuel,' no?"

Rouge refraimed from saying anything about it. Though she didn't want to admit it, he was right. Although, she did stare at the Mobian coyote in confusion. "A fuel?"

"Yes, a fuel. A fuel! Why is zis world so difficulty to understand?!" asked the coyote. "A fuel is a stupid person," he finally explained.

"Ohh! You mean a 'fool.'"

Antoine sighed arrogantly. "Zat is what I said. 'A fuel…'" As he collected the Ring from the lake, he continued to speak. "Y'know, I was like you once. I was, how you say... 'head over heels' for someone who felt zat way to who I thought was a fuel. I tried getting between zem, but ze harder I tried, it seemed, ze worse it became. But zen, zere was Bunnie... we were just teammates back zen, but look where we are now." He then showed her his wedding ring.

Despite not looking at the coyote this whole time, every word seemed to cling to Rouge.

"Ze point is," Antoine continued, "Whoever zis person is you feel for... perhaps it is not meant to be. But being selfish and trying to pull zem apart will only make things worse. Be careful what you think should be done." With that said, he left.

Rouge shrugged crossed her arms around her front. 'Great! Being lectured in morally by a coyote with a bad French accent!' she thought to herself. 'He can speak for himself. I'll show him... all of them. I'm not gonna lose Shadow to Blondie Robotnik...'

Her eyes widened at the thought of the word "Robotnik." Then a devious plan came over her. She knew exactly what to do, and off she went.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **The Gift**

* * *

Maria walked toward the doorway to Professor Andersen's work-space. It was only a short time before Shadow's big birthday celebration, and she was hoping to get back in time for the presents. They still had to prepare for her "big surprise."

At the door, she walked halfway in and turned around. She scanned to see if anybody, namely Shadow, followed. Seeing that the coast was clear, she closed the door. "It's almost time. Is everything ready, Professor?" She turned around to see that Professor Andersen wasn't where she expected her to be, but someone else. "Grandfather! What're you doing here?"

Gerald sat at a table, his face buried in a book. Then he looked up at his granddaughter. "Come here, Maria," he said, "but don't sit down. This won't take long."

The human girl slowly stepped in. As she approached him, she couldn't help but look at her. For some reason, he seemed unusual. It was almost like he was a different person.

When she was close enough, she popped the obvious question. "Um… What're you reading?"

"This is a rather interesting story about a girl with a dark secret." He handed the book to her. "This seems to be the best part."

She gladly accepted the book and looked at the page. Then she read a few sentences and let out a faint gasp. It was Professor Andersen's logbook. What was worse: the page in particular was on how and why Maria wanted to be a Mobian hedgehog.

Maria was scared stiff. She didn't know whether to speak or run away as fast as possible. Then, Gerald pointed her attention to the door. There stood a woman held up by two of the robot guards. "I'm sorry, Maria…"

Maria looked back at the head of the ARK. "I-I can explain…"

"Silence!" he shouted and left a stinging sensation on her cheek. "I'll put this in my strongest terms: We will re-create you, and you will be a human."

"But Grandfather!"

"No buts!" snapped the old man. "The way things are here and now are how they should and will be! I'm going to remake you, and if you step out of line, I assure you, you are going to wish I hadn't! Do you understand?!"

Maria fell silent. Tears started to water her eyes. Before Gerald could do anything, she turned around and ran out the door.

"Hey! Get back here!" he demanded.

"Leave me alone!" she shouted back.

The heartbroken girl ran straight for her room and locked the door. She fell on her bed and began to cry to her heart's content. Part of her was relieved to be away from everyone, but it felt almost worse. She wanted to be in Shadow's arms, but now more than ever she couldn't be.

After a half-hour of nonstop tears, there was a loud banging against the door loudly. "Go away!" she shouted.

But they just banged louder and harder... so hard it even dented and cracked the door. Maria instantly sat up, tears at a halt. Seconds later, a dark fist burst through the door, tearing against the metal. The sight frightened her to a scream.

Before long, Maria was face to face with three dark alien creatures. She didn't know what they were, and all she could hear from them were three unrecognizable words. "Faaz! Paak! Dinok!"

Before they could come any closer, something black flew through the air and knocked the beasts down like lined-up dominos. It was Shadow. He was attacked earlier and came to Maria's rescue.

"Shadow!" Maria exclaimed. "What's going on? What are those things?"

"No time to find out," the coal hedgehog replied. "We need to get out of here now!"

* * *

Shadow put up the kickstand to his motorcycle. After Maria removed her helmet, they began down to a patch that ran along the ocean. While they walked, they enjoyed the beauty of the water.

"It's a nice motorcycle, but why do you have it?" Maria asked. "You can run faster than that."

"G.U.N. protocol requires one troop transport for each squad," he replied.

"Which is why you paint it maintain it yourself, right?"

Shadow smirked slyly. "I really like that bike."

Maria laughed hearing this, and the two continued down the path. She still wasn't sure what to do. Deep down, he was all she ever wanted, but at the same time, it felt wrong. Gerald had given her strict orders to be Shadow's friend and nothing more.

But all the while, she was reminding herself that Gerald technically was not her grandfather anymore. Her closest 'relative,' Sonic, knew about her feeling toward his rival. And instead of telling her to keep away and being a protective family member, he encouraged her to stop worrying and face her fear. Perhaps Shadow did something grand for him once before?

Either way, she was confused… What was she supposed to do? If she made a move, she would either win or lose everything she had with him. But by doing nothing, she was only risking the chance of losing him.

As they walk, faint music start breaking the silence, and the two stop. "That sounds familiar…" Shadow mumbled. As they came closer, it became more clear what music they were playing. "Hey, isn't that…?"

"Yeah. It's that old Christmas album we used to listen to back on the ARK!" Maria replied cheerfully.

The coal Hedgehog pointed to a nearby restaurant. "It sounds like it's coming from over there. Come on!"

* * *

They found themselves a table and listened to the music for a while. Shadow looked around. The diner seemed so classic, he felt like he was back in the past once more. The one big difference was the dance floor.

At the counter, Shadow spotted an elderly blue hedgehog, who saw them and smiled. "This must be the diner Sonic mentioned earlier," he chuckled, and when he turned his sight, he was met by a very bright flash. "What the…?"

"Shadow and Maria! What brings you to his side of Knothole?" A crimson and white Mobian fox asked and held out a tape recorder. His companion, a bear, took another picture when Maria turned her head to see what was going on.

"What're you doing? Leave us alone," he requested and took Maria´s hand.

"What do the other Freedom Fighters think about this?" The fox tried again and held the recorder closer to them.

"Hey! Can't you clowns read?!" shouted a voice from behind. The two journalists turn around to see the old Hedgehog. He pointed to a sign by the door.

 **Paying Customers ONLY  
** _ **NO**_ **Exceptions!**

The reporters were silent for a moment. Then the bear spoke. "I'll have a double cheeseburger and a medium cola."

"Get out of here," the hedgehog ordered.

The reporters hesitated but did as told. Halfway there, the fox turned around. "Can we at least have a question answered?"

"OUT!" Charles yelled, and they ran. The old Hedgehog turned around to face the two young ones. "I know I seemed a little rough, but I can't have people like them going higgledy-piggledy and bothering my customers."

"You can't be too rough with that kind of people," Shadow said with a smirk.

Maria giggled softly. "Thanks, Uncle Chuck."

"Think nothing of it, kids. So, can I get you something to eat?" he asked and held up a notebook and pen.

Not long later, the two best friends were enjoying Uncle Chuck's diner together. Maria was snacking on some fries, while Shadow decided to try Chuck's famous chili dog. It only took one bite, and the black hedgehog's mouth almost instantly started watering. "Okay, I gotta pat myself on the back," Shadow said between bites. "Coming here was a pretty good idea."

"When will you realize that all your ideas are good ones?" asked the former human.

"Well, that's funny. Because I thought that not trying to save you on my birthday, trying to crash the ARK into the Earth, and helping Black Doom and his army take over were all terrible ideas."

"Oh, sure. Anything sounds bad when you say it with _that_ attitude." Once Maria said that, the two laughed joyfully. Even though they were still unaware of the other's true feelings, it felt nice to just hang out and have fun like old times. As they enjoyed each other's company, two dishes on vanilla ice cream floated through the air and landed on their table. Maria looked at her friend. "I didn't know you could do that."

"I can't, but I do know someone who can." The black hedgehog leaned over to see a white one coming their way. "It's been a while. Good to see you again."

"Likewise…" The telekinetic looked at the yellow one. "My name is Silver. It's an honor to meet you, Maria," he said and they shook hands.

"How did you know my name?" Maria asked.

"Word travels fast with Sonic. Plus, Blaze read about you guys in her favorite gossip magazine."

"Hey," shouted a voice from behind. A purple cat showed up, her arms crossed. "'Young and Beautiful' isn't a gossip magazine. It's sophisticated literature for young women."

Silver rolled his eyes. Then he looked at Shadow. "Mind if we join you?"

"Sure. Go ahead." Maria invited them. The two grabbed some nearby chairs and sat opposite of Shadow and Maria. "So, what did this 'sophisticated literature' say about us?"

"People have been wondering what's up with the two of you. The latest issue offered a reward to whoever can't find out who you are, Maria, and your relation to Shadow," the cat woman replied.

"Why´s that?" The blonde girl asked.

"Well, he is the Ultimate Lifeform, and the first creature successfully made by science. It makes him a celebrity," Silver replied, and Blaze nodded.

"Plus, a story of two runaway lovers is always a good one,'" The feline explained and laughed a little when the two hedgehogs blush.

"A-actually, were just best friends," Maria explained and Shadow confirmed.

"Told ya," Silver said to Blaze, but smiled a little. It was obvious for him that she was lying. "Hey, Shadow. Why don't we get the four of us some drinks?"

Shadow agreed, and off they went to the soda fountain.

Once they were gone, the purple cat looked at the yellow hedgehog. "Somehow, I have the feeling you lied to us."

Blaze was right. At heart, Maria was a terrible liar. She sighed and decided to come clean. "You're right. I love him, but please don't tell him. I don't want to possibly ruin our friendship."

"And I thought Silver was naïve..." The purple cat shrugged. "Whether it helps or hinders your bond, I can't really say... but I do know this: unless your willing to take a chance, you'll risk losing him to another... or worse."

Maria was moved to say the least. But what Blaze said next pushed her even further.

"Besides, if you and Shadow didn't reunite after all this time, it wasn't meant to be."

Maria smiled and nodded in thanks. She knew Blaze was right. In the distance, the music changed. "Oh, I love this one!" Maria pointed out.

Blaze stood up. "Care to join me?"

"Sure!" She stood up and followed the cat to the dance floor. Their example did not go unnoticed by the other guests, and soon the floor was full. During the song, both Maria and Blaze had a hard time to resist singing along, and soon the rest of the floor does the same.

Shadow and Silver smiled as they watched from their table. "So, that's the girl who saved your life, huh?" asked the white one, and the black one nodded. Silver winked at her, and Shadow glared at him. Then the white one laughed. "That was a test! You do like her!"

A small hint of pink appeared on the GUN agent's cheeks. "Well, I guess I walked into that one," he chuckled.

"Well, don't worry about me. I'll admit, she is beautiful, but my heart belongs to Blaze. In fact…" The white hedgehog then pulled out a small velvet box and revealed a ruby ring.

Shadow smirked. He knew where this was going. "Nice. Be sure to invite us."

"As long as you invite us to your wedding."

"What're you talking about?"

"Time travel. Remember… Grandpa?" Silver actually knew nothing of the near future, but Shadow didn't realize this.

Soon, Chuck took the microphone. "Alright, everyone. We're gonna slow down a little with a request from a young man who wishes to remain anonymous." Then, the music changed to a softer tune.

Silver then came over to the floor, and Blaze curtsied. "May I have this dance, my young gentleman?"

"But of course." Silver put his hands around her waist. Blaze rest hers on his shoulders, and they slowly moved to the music.

Maria turned her attention to her still sitting companion. All she could think of was Sonic saying that she should take action, so that's exactly what she decided to do. She gave him a friendly smile and started dancing his way.

This caused the ebony hedgehog's fur to raise. 'I must be dreaming. It couldn't be this easy,' he thought to himself. 'And yet…'

 _Winter snow is falling down, children laughing all around,  
_ _Lights are turning on, like a fairy tale come true  
_ _Sitting by the fire we made, you're the answer when I prayed,  
_ _I would find someone, and baby I found you._

Once she got there, she held out her hand to him. "Do you… want to dance with me?" she asked, somewhat shyly.

But Shadow seemed shy as well. "I would, but… I can't dance," he said sheepishly and looked away.

The blonde hedgehog knew what to do. She put her arms under his and used Chaos Control. In a flash, they were on the dance floor. She caught the coal one and helped him up. "If I can do that, you can dance." She placed his hands on her hips, which caused him to blush. She simply smiled and rested her hands on his shoulders, and slowly they moved to the music.

 _All I want is to hold you forever.  
_ _All I need is you more every day.  
_ _You saved my heart from being broken apart.  
_ _You gave your love away. I'm thankful every day,  
_ _For the gift._

Not long much longer into the song, Maria closed her eyes and rested her head on his. Shadow was slightly nervous through this, at least at first. But then, a series of familiar voices began to echo in his mind…

 _"Love is said to be the most powerful emotion in life..."_

 _"There are certain unpredictable events that happen for a reason."_

 _"I believe that fate and destiny are two different concepts."_

 _"No matter how selfish the feeling may seem, you can always believe in love..."_

 _"You're both Mobians now. Coincidence?"_

 _"There aren't many second chances in life. Try not to let this one go..."_

His biggest reason for hiding from her had dissolved like snow that night. But he also didn't want to just all out tell her. He smiled a little as he found a great way to hint his feelings for her there and then.

 _"Watching as you softly sleep,_ _w_ _hat I'd give if I could keep  
_ _Just this moment. If only time stood still…  
_ _But the colors fade away, and the years will make us grey.  
_ _But in my eyes, you'll still be beautiful._

" _All I want is to hold you forever.  
_ _All I need is you more every day.  
_ _You saved my heart from being broken apart.  
_ _You gave your love away. I'm thankful everyday  
_ _For the gift."_

To Maria's great surprise, Shadow started singing along softly in her ear. She smiled more and tightened her grip around him, feeling very privileged and just as emotionally overwhelmed. She knew that music or dancing wasn't his thing.

In the final chorus, they were singing together…

" _All I want is to hold you forever.  
_ _All I need is you more every day.  
_ _You saved my heart from being broken apart.  
_ _You gave your love away.  
_ _I can't find the words to say.  
_ _I'm thankful everyday...  
_ _For the gift."_

"Thank you, Shadow... I've never been so happy..." Maria whispered in his ear with a small tear in her eye.

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere far away, Doctor Eggman sat in his office and wrote on some papers. His surroundings were a big mess, indicating he had a huge fit of rage.

He sighed, took off his glasses and rubbed his face. He was tired, but for some reason, he couldn't find the peace needed to get a good night sleep.

Robotnik turned his sight to an old photo on the table of his grandfather with Maria and Shadow. "Why did it have to be you?" He mumbled while studying the picture. "I wish I had never turned that infernal machine on…"

"That makes two of us," said a voice from behind. The startled Eggman jumped and saw a familiar white bat merely feet away from him. "Hi. Long time, no see."

The old man quickly pressed a button beside him. "Guards!"

"I know about your little project. How you re-created Maria," the bat said and rested her hands on her hips. The old man froze and slowly lifted his hands from the panel. "Here's how I see it: you want your heiress back, and I want her away from Shadow. I'm willing to make you a deal if you are."

"Why do you want to help us, Rouge?" Eggman asked suspiciously. "I don't suppose you're interested in sharing your precious Shadow with another woman, are you?"

"Regardless of the reason, hear me out," the bat cut in. "I'll tell you where they are, and in turn, you simply take her away. All I ask is that nobody gets hurt… especially not Shadow."

The old man was silent. Then he grinned. "Okay. You've got a deal. I won't send my army to hurt anyone."

"Excellent." Rouge handed him a piece of paper with numbers on them. "Follow these coordinates, and you'll find ol' Knothole City. It's on a single island in the ocean, so it'll be easy to find."

"Knothole?! Of all the places in the world, they choose to bring home here!"

"Now, remember our deal, Doctor…"

"Don't worry. I won't command my army harm anyone," he grinned evilly, "because I'm not in control of my army!"

"W—WHAT?!"

The old man pressed yet another button. From the doorway behind him, the dark entity appeared. "Makuta! We've found them, and you'll get to destroy a city to find them! Take as much supplies as you deem necessary."

"Excellent," the monster replied. "Come. See your greatest triumph."

"Gladly!" The doctor pressed an assembly button for their forces, stood up and followed.

Worried, Rouge came as well. But as she followed, she came to think of what might happen. 'What am I worried about?' She thought to herself. 'Shadow took on an army of hundreds of thousands and won. This joker would need enough force to outnumber the entire Earth.'

But her relief quickly decimated. Seconds later, the three came into an exterior portion of the ship. There were numerous Earthly battleships, more unearthly transports, and on the ground below were enough forces to blot out the colors of the island.

Eggman handed a microphone to Makuta, but the Kendov threw it aside. He addressed his army with his voice alone. "A new era is rising! Its victory is at hand!" he began. "This day onward, this realm will be shrouded by the shadows of fear! March to all the corners of the Earth! Go now! Corrupt the spirits of man, and destroy their hope!" The army roared with exhalation. Makuta's final word made them shout louder. "TO WAR!"

Rouge watched in utter horror. She couldn't stop such a massive army alone. She had only one weapon... regret.

"What have I done?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 **The Egg-pire Strikes Back**

* * *

The moon was full and almost all the stores were closed. The streets of Knothole surrounded them with silence as they walked down the empty path. Neither one of them spoke, but that didn't matter, as long they were together.

Maria had never been so happy before. It was by far the best night of her life. Dinner and a dance were very fun. But for Shadow to sing just for her… was the most special thing he had ever done for her.

The rest of the world journey almost didn't matter to her. She even almost forgot about Christmas coming in less than a month. All she could think of was how much she loved him. She really wanted to be more than friends with him more than anything, and after tonight she might have a shot.

 _"Nothing starts until you take action..."_

 _"You're his best friend, and you're super cute. Shadow's the lucky one."_

 _"Unless your willing to take a chance, you'll risk losing him to another... or worse."_

 _"There's nothing to be ashamed of, Maria. Love is a natural thing."_

 _"Besides, if you and Shadow didn't reunite after all this time, it wasn't meant to be."_

 _"If you spend too much time worrying about it, you'll never get it done."_

The words of many kept ringing in her mind. So she decided to take a small step forward in their relationship. Carefully, she wrinkled her hand into her friend's, their fingers intertwining. The sudden contact comes as a surprise to the dark hedgehog, but he smiled a little and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

After a short walk through the woods, they both stopped as they reached the beach. At first, they just stared at the sky and the sea, and then… at each other.

"Maria... you know you're my best friend, right?" asked Shadow.

The girl nodded, a visible hint of pink on her cheeks. "And you're my best friend."

"I would never want anything to get in the way of that."

"Nothing ever could," Maria whispered and leaned a little closer to him.

It was difficult to hold back, and he too leaned closer. "I know…"

"Then... we have nothing to fear..." Instinctively, she started to close her eyes, and she tilted her head a little when she could feel his warm breath on her lips.

"Shadow and Maria..." growled a dark voice. They pulled away and looked toward the source. Beside them, a large humanoid being stood on the waters. "At long last, we face one another..."

The male hedgehog stood between Maria and the unknown figure. "Who are you? And how do you know our names?"

"I am surprised," he replied, "you could have forgotten me so easily, after I slaughtered your people and left you for dead on the ARK."

"You…" Maria gasped with her hands over her mouth.

"Makuta..." Shadow clenched his fists.

"You may have forgotten me, but I will never forget you," Makuta sneered. "You cannot imagine what I have endured to stay alive, fueled by my singular hatred for you both."

"No. We can't. But you shouldn't have come back. We're ready for you this time." Shadow stood, ready to fight.

The being chuckled. "You're either selflessly courageous or laughably foolish… perhaps both. But... I didn't come back alone." Makuta then turned around, his arms thrown up. "Bo amativ, dii yen-zeymah!"

It was as though a curtain had been pulled away when it happened. some form of camoflaging barrier was dispelled, and behind it was a large army of Dark Hunters of many forms and more. Among them, a large number of either Shadow's enemies, Maria's, or both of theirs. Each of them had weapons pointed at the two and other tools.

Makuta then called out the order. Multiple bombs and weapons flew toward them. The G.U.N. agent grabbed his friend and quickly jumped out of the way, but that didn't stop them from their continuous attack. "Strike, brothers! Make the fools pay for our abuse and confinement!"

Once they were a safe distance away, Shadow put Maria down. He could still hear them coming, so he made a decision. "Maria, go to Knothole and get any survivors to safety! I'll hold them back as long as I can!"

Maria hesitated, but she did as instructed. Before she disappeared into the forest, the blonde hedgehog looked back at him. "Shadow! Take this!" She threw her Chaos Emerald at him and then flew as fast as she could.

Shadow stood his ground. While dodging multiple bullets and missiles, he wasn't able to dodge the shockwaves they produced. So even with two Chaos Emeralds, he was knocked down multiple times.

Soon, he was surrounded. They were about to attack when Makuta ordered the cease-fire. He approached Shadow slowly. "And where is Maria?"

Shadow glared at his enemy. "Probably halfway to New Knothole by now. She'll warn the-!"

"The land you speak of is already no more," the robot commander cut in. "My brother-in-arms, the one they call Eggman, has already decimated the area while we distracted you two."

Shadow was shocked. It was all just a diversion. He would have started for Knothole to save Maria, but with one quick throw of the wrist, Makuta punched Shadow in the forehead with all his might. The Ultimate Lifeform fell to the ground, unconscious. With this done, the Dark Kendov removed the ring on Shadow's finger and placed it on his own. 'At last… now only one remains.'

* * *

Meanwhile, farther away, the blonde hedgehog was quickly making her way through the dense forest. She didn't look back in the direction of Shadow and the Legion, else she would've changed her mind and disobeyed. Soon, she saw light coming from the forest. Maria was almost there.

She popped out of the bushes. But what she saw made her spine run cold. The entire city was in shambles. Some parts were still burning from the attack, but no one building was left in one piece. Uncle Chuck's diner, the Ring Grotto, Freedom HQ… they were all gone.

She quickly glided through the ruins. "Sonic! Chris! Sally!" she shouted but no one answered. "Mom! Dad! Amy!" Still no response. "Anybody…?" She was all alone. She tried to hold back, but all she could do was cry. They were all gone, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Maria!" cried a voice from behind. Jack the robot flew in behind her. He was outside of the city before the attack.

"Jack!" She ran over and embraced her bionic buddy. "What happened? Is anyone else still around?"

"You're the only one I've found so far," he replied. "It's Eggman! He– !" He suddenly saw the old man behind her. He wore a mechanical glove and aimed it at them. "Look out!" He pushed her out of the way, and a beam of energy barely missed them. However, the harsh fall injured her wing.

"It's about time we found you, Maria," the old man said.

His cousin turned around in fear. Her heart pounded, and her stomach ached. Tears came to her eyes. "Ivo, what've you done?" she said. "My family… all my friends… you… they're…!"

"Captured," interrupted Eggman. "What you just witnessed was an enhanced teleportation beam. They've all been sent to the Egg Vineyard, a prison made especially for them. It's all over; I've won."

"B-But why not me?"

"Silly girl. You are far too valuable for the Eggman Empire. I created you! You will do what I say, when I say! Got it?"

Maria was silent. Seeing the damage surrounding them, she was also just as scared. She wasn't sure what to do, so the hedgehog girl took a few steps back.

"You still defy me, do you?" Eggman turned to the robot beside her. "Metal Shadow, seize her."

Jack stared angrily. "You ain't the boss of me, Baldy McNosehair! She's my friend, and I-!" Suddenly, he quickly kicked off.

"Wha...?" Maria grew worried. "Jack? JACK?!"

Eggman grinned. "Ah, yes... my soft-reboot defiance kill-switch... I see you forgot to remove that."

When he turned back on, two red optics showed where his green ones once were. "Priority one: capture hedgehog." Jack, now Metal Shadow once more, turned and walked toward Maria coldly, who stepped back in fear. As he adhered the Doctor's word, his eyes kept shifting colors, as does his personality. Jack was fighting Metal Shadow from the inside. "No... Affirmative. No. Neg-! Affirmative! NO!" But Metal Shadow overcame Jack, and he grabbed her by the non-injured wing.

An evil smile came over the Doctor. "Excellent. Now, let's go home." He then blasted Maria and Metal Shadow with the teleportation beam, and then he shot himself.

* * *

When the blinding light settled, Maria looked around. She wasn't in the remains of New Knothole anymore. All around her, Sonic, the Freedom Fighters and everyone else hung over her. They were all restrained within glass orbs and bundled up like clusters of grapes.

She also saw that she wasn't the only one outside of a prison cell. Behind her stood the attackers from back at the beach. Maria reached for her Chaos Emerald, but she had forgotten she gave it to Shadow.

Speaking of which, where was he?

Eggman appeared next to her. He grabbed a microphone, and addressed the crowd above. "Ladies and gentlemen, Mobians of all ages," he began, "I want to thank you all for such an entertaining resistance for so many years. It's made creating my glorious empire far more exciting and enjoyable. But in every game, there are winners, and there are losers. And as you know, in my game, I never lose."

"You might wanna double-check the rule book, Ro-butt-nik!" shouted Sonic.

"Zip it, you dolt! Now, I'm gonna demonstrate just what this prison can do. The process will be accelerated, but not less potent so that you'll all be good and terrified before the end. And just to be safe, I'll use my new prime source of power… aside from the Emeralds, of course." He pulled a lever in front of him.

A giant metal claw reached out from below and plucked a cell. Then it pulled it back to in front of the control panel. The glass orb contained a certain G.U.N. agent, who was just coming to his senses. Maria and the other Mobians gasped.

"Wha… Where am I?" asked Shadow.

The old man turned to his henchmen. "Eclipse, would you care to do the honors?"

The alien cackled. "Gladly." He approached the control panel and pulled a switch.

A surge of electricity coursed through his body. The Ultimate Lifeform grunted in pain all the while. Everyone watched, and some looked away in horror. Even Sonic was frightened now.

"Using the finest technology to date," explained he evil genius, "this prison can extract Chaos energy from anything, or anyone, and convert it to power for our battle station, the Dark Egg. Granted many of you have little energy if any at all. But Shadow here accumulates Chaos energy gradually, which in turn fuels his strength and speed. But if too much is extracted from him at once…" Eggman put a finger under his chin and slid it across his neck.

Maria the hedgehog cried as she watched everything, shouting, "Ivo, no! STOP! PLEASE!"

Eggman looked at her with a smirk. "Accept my offer, and I'll give the orders." He turned back toward the black alien. "More power, Eclipse."

Tears of pain formed in the Ultimate Lifeform's eyes. He couldn't break free.

Eclipse, it seemed, enjoyed the most of every second. "Nice try, brother!" he stated. "But Robotnik made this cell just for you. You'll keep enough energy to live, but not enough to escape."

Maria went to jump at the imprisoned Shadow, but as soon as she took a step, something seized her arm. She turned to see a mutant reptilian creature holding her back. Even more frightening: she knew it was... "Espio?!"

"It's your decision:" Eggman reiterated. "Do as I say; Shadow lives, or Shadow dies; you become prisoner!"

"Maria…." choked Shadow through the torture. "Don't listen…"

"Silence!" Eclipse pulled the switch even further.

A hoarse scream arose from Shadow's throat as electricity surged through his body.

The blonde hedgehog couldn't take another second. She fell to Eggman's knees with tears running down her cheeks. "Okay! Okay! I'll do it! I'll do whatever you want!" wept Maria. "Just stop torturing Shadow! Please!"

"That's better… shut it down," Eggman ordered.

"In a second. This is the best part."

"NOW, ECLIPSE!" After that loud shout, the alien angrily shut down the machine. Shadow was silenced and relieved. Eggman smirked as he pulled Maria up to her feet. "Put him back in place… we'll finish him off later."

"What?!" Maria's eyes shot open. "B-But you said…"

"Rule number one: Never trust anyone," the old man said with a grin. "Besides, I'm going to need some means of keeping you in check. Welcome to the Dark Egg Legion!"

As the legion left and dragged a heartbroken Maria along, Rouge watched the whole scenario from above. Tears came to her eyes, because she thought the world was now unprotected because of her.

* * *

Later that same night, Maria and Eggman were left alone in her new room. She sat in a chair, her head down. He paced the floor, constantly looking at her.

Stimltaneously, he was turning his attention to the monitors of his computer. There was a news broadcast of an attack Eggman ordered. Many Dark Hunters and other members of the Legion were decimating Station Square. The Doctor flipped the channel several times revealing other cities under attack. London, Beiging, Tokyo, Rio de Jinaro, Paris... "You know, I should probably thank you," he said. "What with you distracting that blue loser and the rest of his friends, I've conquered more of the Earth in a few short months than I have in over two decades."

"Why are you doing this, Ivo?" the former human asked. "What do you want from me?"

"Have you ever wondered why I re-created you?" he asked back. "As you can see, I am elderly and past my prime. The more so I become, the more I think about my life's work. I feared that it would eventually fade away with me. The only solution… is an heir. An apprentice." He looked at her. "That's where you fit in. Being a descendant of my grandfather, you are my last living relative. Young, agile, and in your prime, you are the heir of all this. The Princess of the Eggman Empire!"

Maria was surprised at what she had just heard. "You… made me to be a… princess?"

"Yes… yes, I did," Eggman laughed. "And with your help, and with those meddling Freedom Fighters finally out of the picture, I'll not only take over the world… It'll live on after I die!" He then escorted her to her new room so that Maria could get some sleep. "Now, rest up, cousin. You've got much to learn for global domination."

Maria collapsed on the floor, and tears flooded her eyes. The odds were stacked against her and the others. There seemed to be no options. "No," she told herself, "don't break down. I have to stay strong. Shadow will find a way. He will rescue me!"

Suddenly, the hedgehog girl heard a knock on the door. Thinking it was the Doctor, she quickly opened it, but she was wrong... It was Orbot. "Hello. Odd request..." he gestured to a pile of broken parts. "Could I trouble you to reassemble my dismantled cohort?"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

 **Confessions of a G.U.N. Spy**

* * *

As the next few weeks flew by, the world became more under Eggman's thumb than ever before. Between capturing the Freedom Fighters, using Shadow as his prime energy source, and sending the Dark Hunters across the nations, concurring the planet became far easier. A large portion of the G.U.N. tried to settle the oncoming alienated invaders, but it didn't prevail.

Maria, it seemed, had the worst experience of them all. She was forced to send the horde out herself. And if she didn't, Eggman would extract more Chaos energy from Shadow and a few others. Knowing they were the only ones who could stop them, she had to do as told in order to keep them alive long enough for them to find a way to escape. And each night, she was so upset from all the wrong she had caused, she would almost always cry herself to sleep.

* * *

It was the morning before Christmas Day, and a very special one for a certain evil dictator… When he got to the door, he opened it laughing jubilantly. "The time has come, cousin!" It was Doctor Eggman. Then he saw Maria working with Cubot. "What the...? What happened to him?"

"Not sure," replied Maria. "We'll find out as soon as I'm done fixing him."

"When do you suppose that'll be?"

"Well, I had a bit of trouble before, especially with his voice chip, but I should be finished in just a few minutes."

"Very well, but that's not why I'm here. I'm here to give you this…" He handed a box to Maria.

The blonde hedgehog hesitantly opened it, and she was amazed. Inside the box was a rhinestone tiara with a sapphire gemstone. It sparkled from the light behind her.

"Today is the big day. Today, you shall assume the throne and become Empress Maria Robotnik. And just in time for us to take over the world!" The old doctor laughed loudly and crazily. It quickly became a cough and then a laugh again.

"Wow… has he always been this crazy?" Maria mumbled to herself.

"What was that?!"

"N-Nothing! Nothing important!" She laughed nervously.

"That's what I thought… Now, I'll be back with a camera crew in about half an hour! We wouldn't want the world to miss this momentous occasion." He left for the door.

Maria sat back down after he left. To think that she would be forced to such an awful position… she could only hope that the Sonic and the gang would break free in time. Then, she heard some knocking on her window. Outside, she saw a shadow moving. Carefully, the hedgehog girl approached the window, her senses at full alert.

Suddenly, a glove-covered hand touched the window. She gasped by the shock and watched how it removed some of the frost. Then she got direct eye-contact with a pair of sapphire blue eyes accompanied with bat wings.

"Rouge!" She opened the window, and the G.U.N. spy clambered in. She was the only one who still hadn't been captured by the Legion. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," replied the bat. "The rations have successfully been delivered. I was almost captured, but it was worth it."

Maria smiled. Throughout the time of Eggman's extended domination, the two girls have secretly been supplying food, water, clothing, and other special needs to the nations. It seemed to be the only thing that kept her at ease during the time. Although, something still bugged her only when she was around the bat girl.

She looked out the window. "I sure wish what we've supplied is enough for the planet's population. It seems to be getting harder to do this."

"Hey, if not for you, people would be starving, dehydrated and cold in the streets." She placed a hand on her shoulder. "You may be in the wrong place, but you're doing the right thing, Blondie. We're all grateful."

"But how much longer can we pull this off?" Maria asked as she looked at the Mobian before her. "At least someone is able to help me… even if it's someone I'm jealous of..."

The white bat was puzzled and surprised. "You? Jealous?"

"Yes... You and Omega are Shadow's closest friends. He would trust you with his life," Maria replied. "And all the adventures you had with him: the ARK incident, the Black Comet, Soleanna… you stood by his side when no one else could. I can't help but be envious."

"He– he told you that?"

"He told me a lot about you." Maria gave Rouge an ensuring smile.

The white bat looked the other way, ashamed of herself. "Then he has too high thoughts of me… I'm not a good person."

The golden girl giggled at her. "Oh, don't be ridiculous. Why would you think that?"

Rouge couldn't keep it in any longer. At that moment, she made the biggest confession of her life. "I did this, okay?! I told Eggman where you were! I ruined everything!"

Maria was surprised. She wasn't expecting this to occur.

"I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" the bat continued. "Shadow was right. I'm… I'm jealous! I mean, you're his best friend, right? He trusts and cares for you far more than he does for me." Tears began to emerge from her eyes. It was the first time in years she had actually cried. "Between us, I formed a crush on him. I was scared that I was gonna lose him to you. Eggman was my last resort, but I only wanted you away from him. I never wanted any of this!"

When she finished her rambling, she settled down but was still disgraced with herself. "I'm not asking you to forgive me. And I wouldn't blame you if you hated me… I just want you to understand."

When Rouge was finished, Maria was still surprised. But she smiled. Without any warning, she grabbed her in a hug and held her tight. "I forgive you…"

The bat woman hesitantly returned the gesture. Her feelings about Shadow were still a mess, but after her brief conversation with Maria, it kind of eased her frustrations. Maria was right. She did do good things in life, and she wasn't always as selfish as Sonic and the others had accused her to be.

Their embrace, however, was cut short when they suddenly heard a knock on the door. "Can I come in?" It was Orbot. He had come by to check on Cubot, but he didn't want to open the door to anything he shouldn't.

"Oh. Uh... just a second." As Maria was speaking, Rouge had zipped out the window. Maria then quickly came to the door and let the round one in. She was just about to give Orbot some good news if not for the uneasy expression on his face. "Are you worried about Cubot? Because..."

"It's not that," the robot replied. "I mean this in the nicest of ways, ma'am, but I fear that your desire to accomplish the most miniscule tasks causes Cubot and I to appear inferior by comparison."

"'Desire?' Orbot, I hate being the princess."

"You do?"

"If this is what being a princess is, then yes. So much negativity, and who wants to live a life filled with hate?"

"Then why are you doing this?" the round robot asked.

"It's the only way I can protect my friends and family."

"I don't think I'll ever understand you organic life forms."

"I assume you'd do the same for Cubot." She snapped her fingers. "Speaking of which..." Maria then returned to Cubot and quickly made some adjustments. Soon, the hedgehog girl reactivated the machine.

Cubot's optical processors slowly opened. Then, suddenly, he stood up. "Watch what you're grabbing there, Bozo!"

"Huzzah! He's fixed," the round one cheered. "Cubot, tell us what happened to you."

"It's Makuta! He dismantled me!" he answered. "And I liked being mantled."

Orbot spoke up afterwards. "That's why he didn't bother to help me... Why would he do that?"

"Lemme check my memory circuit..." the edged one stood silently for a moment. Then he replied. "...all I remember is... I found these video files on a flash drive on the floor, I asked Makuta what to do with then, and then he got mad at me. Next thing I know, here I am."

"Here. Let me see." Receiving the drive, she plugged it in her computer to reveal two video documents, one of which was under her name. "Hey. It's for me. This was recorded the day before the ARK attack." She clicked on the document, and there, in a hospital bed on the screen, her grandfather sat.

"Hello, Maria," he began and then let out a sickening cough. "Sorry. I'm a bit under the weather. They say I'll be fine, but I thought I'd record this just in case." He coughed again as he continued. "Anyway, I looked into the blueprints for the machine that was built to save you. In the process, I stumbled upon something that I find rather interesting… It says you want to become a Mobian Hedgehog so that you can be with Shadow."

The girl sighed and looked away, ashamed. 'Here it comes again…'

"I just want you to know that I have approved of your new body. I've approved your feelings for Shadow months ago, and I've already given you my blessings," said the late professor. This surprised her. "Yes, my dear. I've known for quite some time now. I'll admit it concerned me at first, but I couldn't help but feel like you two were meant for each other. So I've actually tried to find a way to make you a hedgehog for years. And this may be our only way. Supposing this is my death bed, that's all I want for when I die… for both of you to be happy."

"Professor, lights out!" shouted a voice in the background.

"Almost done!" he replied. Then he looked back at the camera. "I have to go now. Good luck with your new life, my granddaughter. I hope that you and Shadow will be happy, whatever happens from here on. Goodbye..." With his goodbye said, the screen displaying Gerald Robotnik's image faded, and the screen flickered out.

Maria was extremely puzzled. "But I-I-I don't–!" she stuttered. "If he approved of this, why did he scold me about my feelings the next day?!"

"Beats me. Antibiotic side effects?" Orbot replied.

"Antibiotics that change your mind about a decision? That doesn't make sense. I gotta get to the bottom of this..." She began to search the computer for more clues. But no matter where she searched... "It's no good. I can't access any information I don't already know."

Then, Orbot remembered something. "I got an idea! If we can access the ARK security surveillance archives, we can see what actually happened." He stepped over and tried to do so.

The computer showed images of the ARK during the attack. There were also pictures of her old form in a casket and Shadow and Gerald being lugged placed under arrest.

Another image showed the hall outside the chamber. A man stood outside pointing a gun through the door. A quick rewind to the night before, and they found a ring-shaped machine had been activated and the same man came out. "The Chrono-Tron?"

"What's a 'Chrono-Tron?'" asked Cubot.

"It was a prototype time machine made on the ARK, but the idea was abandoned long before it was finished." She paused the footage and zoomed in to get a better image. Though it was blurred the picture was good enough to get a decent profile.

Maria was frightened by the sight of her new found knowledge. She stepped back and almost fell on the floor. Her hands quickly grabbed her vanity from behind, and she held on as though she saw a ghost.

The one who killed her on the ARK… the person who separated her from Shadow for fifty years… who took her from her birth parents forever... It wasn't a G.U.N. soldier. It wasn't a Dark Hunter. It wasn't even Makuta. It was…


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

 **It Was…**

* * *

The Freedom Fighters were still stuck in the Egg Vineyard. Many have tried to break free of the technological prison, but none prevailed. It felt especially worse for Shadow. For the past few days, he had been forced to watch as Maria had suffered because of Eggman. Seeing her cry herself to slumber and not be able to comfort her brought tears to his eyes as well. Most nights, he couldn't find the ease to sleep at all.

It was early Christmas morning, and Shadow's eyes were closed. He had just barely began to fall asleep. Suddenly, he heard a voice he never heard before. " **Shadow...** "

"Huh? Wha...? Who said that?" He looked around to see if Sonic or Chris or somebody was up. But everyone he saw was asleep. "Hm... Must be hearing things..."

But he spoke too soon. " **Shadow...** " the voice repeated.

The coal hedgehog looked around again. "Who's there?" he asked. "And how do you know I'm Shadow? Do you work for Makuta?"

Rather suddenly, it seemed as though a light shown around him. A light so bright it made him lose sight of everything around him. Yet this light was not painful to the eye at all, rather it was pleasant. " **Shadow...** " the voice said a third time.

He didn't need to ask a third time. He knew the answer. "You... You're..."

" **Yes. I am He for whom you are fighting.** "

Shadow was awe-struck, present before the Great Spirit. He didn't know what to say or do. Granted his actions were to be held to a minimum. Before he spoke up, he bowed his head in reverance.

"Spirit..." he began, "we need your help. Our world is falling apart. Makuta has one of the Rings, his Dark Hunters are destroying the planet, and we haven't found your True Power. Please, you have to do something."

He said, " **I did... I created you. And though you may not understand it now, your role in the ongoing battle is more important than you can possibly imagine.** "

The Great Spirit was right about one thing on Shadow's part. "I don't understand."

" **Trust me. Your destiny is near. Remember who you are. Remember the vows you have made.** " Then, the Great Spirit left him, and the light subsided.

"Shadow, just give up," Knuckles moaned as he woke up. "If you're having trouble, we can't get out," he added, oblivious of what had happened.

All of a sudden, the large screen over the way out turned on. The bright light woke everybody in the prison up with a shock. The old man himself appeared. "Citizens of Earth, this is Doctor Eggman coming to you live from my glorious battle station, the Dark Egg!"

* * *

Near his cousin's room, Eggman waited down at the hallway. A Dark Hunter involuntarily held a camera in its claws as they were recording it for the world to see.

"Today is a big day for my magnificent Empire. The next generation will be crowned queen and take over my life's work." He then turned up to his cousin's room. "Maria! It's time!"

The yellow hedgehog was still in her room, her eyes wide open. She was still having trouble processing the horrid truth she had recovered.

"Maria!" Eggman called out again, and the door was open. "Ah, there she is, ladies and gentlemen. Maria Robotnik, reincarnated relative of mine and heiress to the throne. Anything you'd like to say to the public, my dear?"

She mumbled something to herself. It was silent but barely audible.

He could barely hear. "What was that?" She then muttered something else so silently, it caused him to growl. He turned to the camera, slightly nervous. "Camera shy… Come on now, Maria. Whatever that was, say it aloud for the world to hear!"

Without hesitation, she did as told. " ** _You_** killed me that day fifty years ago. Didn't you?"

Eggman froze, his eyes wide. 'How did she…?'

"Happy now, cousin? Or should I even call you that?"

The old man, acting fast, tried to turn her direction away from the subject. "Anyway, it is time for you to take your rightful place on the throne. We haven't any time to–"

"Don't cover it up, Ivo! I have enough evidence to support my claim. Now, tell the truth!"

"What are you talking about?" He took her hand. "Come along, now. So much to do, so little time…"

Maria yanked her arm free of his. "Tell me the truth, Doctor Eggman! NOW!"

As her demand echoed through the Dark Egg, the elder doctor glared at her. "Fine." Then he started to explain.

"After one of my older setbacks, I hid myself in an abandoned G.U.N. laboratory. There, I stumbled upon our grandfather's logbook, which I discovered had valuable information the government was trying to hide… Space Colony ARK, the Eclipse Cannon, Project: Shadow, prototype time travel, really creepy stuff. The crazy thing was they were all made before I was even born. I then had the brilliant idea to use Grandpa Gerald's legacy as the foundation for the Eggman Empire."

What he didn't realize was that Makuta's minion was broadcasting the whole thing.

"In order to better my chance of success, I had to get rid of something from the past. Of course, I couldn't just take anything… this 'something' had to be special… irreplaceable. It had to be so important to Shadow that if he was in the right state of mind, he would turn against the world that feared him. The only 'something' that special… is you."

The yellow hedgehog was furious. She thought the G.U.N. had killed her by accident. It was intentional, and what was worse… it was her own family. Or at least he was her family. She angrily shoved him away.

"Maria!"

"I cannot believe I'm a slave for such a selfish brat!" she stated. "I always believed there was good in everyone, but boy… you proved me wrong!"

"You don't like that? Well, there's more," he continued. "According to history, Gerald was driven mad by your 'untimely demise.' He swore vengeance on humanity and reprogrammed his life's work to carry out his last wish, right?"

Maria hesitated to answer. She knew he would not have mentioned that unless… "What did you do to him?"

"Me? I did nothing at all," he protested with a grin. "…unless posing as him to cover my tracks counts as doing something to him. Does it?"

"You mean you killed Grandfather too?!"

"Actually, no. He died of his illness the day before, I can honestly say that."

"Wait a second…" Maria realized something. "That was you on Shadow's birthday, not Grandfather!" she shrugged. "What you did was unforgivable."

"Don't lecture me, young woman!" he rebutted. "Your so-called friends are still in my prison, so if you want to see them fried to death–"

"I'm still taking the throne," she said suddenly. "And don't say so-called."

"Really?" he asked, amazed.

"I'm doing it for my friends and family, the Freedom Fighters, and the world… but not for you. We're not cousins, and you'll never be a Robotnik."

Eggman snuffed. "Fair enough..."

* * *

Speaking of the Freedom Fighters, they were in shock as they realized the horrid truth. They began discussing among themselves.

"That's it. He's going down."

"Gee, I knew Egghead was evil, but this isn't like him."

"I never thought he'd stoop to such a level!"

"What if he tries this on someone else?!"

"Once I break out, boy, is he gonna get a load from me!"

"But you heard what Eggman said. We're never getting out."

"Think again!" shouted a childish voice. Suddenly, the glass chamber holding the G.U.N. agent burst open. He looked up after falling to the floor. There, in front of him, three bodies stood. It was Decoe, Bocoe and Bokkun.

"What the…?" Shadow thought. "Don't you three work for…?"

"We're on the good guy side now. We're here to rescue you." They came across the floor to reach the control panel.

But before they could, Metal Shadow dropped down in front of them. "You wish to free them. This unit must destroy you." He stood ready to fight.

The three stood scared. None of them wanted to fight such a powerful robot. Decoe and Bocoe glanced at each other. "Loser fights him?" asked one, and the other agreed.

"Rock, doughnut, Thursday, shoot!" And they hold their hands out at one another.

"I win! Doughnuts are half-price on Thursday!"

"No! The doughnut store's closed on Thursday!"

Metal Shadow stood in confusion. He processed the data he had collected and tried to evaluate it as best as possible. "This game… it does not make sense!"

As Metal Shadow waited for them, Rouge flew in from behind. She began to active the console and smiled in thanks to the three for distracting the enemy robot.

"Rock, doughnut, Thursday, shoot!" Decoe and Bocoe tried again.

"Rock smashes Thursday!" Bocoe declared.

"You cannot use Thursday. Thursday is not an object." Metal Shadow uttered.

"Ooh, nice move," the other commented. "But you forgot about Leap Year."

Logical Reasoning irrelevent… Game illogical. Too illogical! Fatal Error!" Metal Shadow smoked, and he sparked, and he suddenly collapsed from overheating.

As they continued to release the captives, Shadow asked the obvious question. "But how did you know where we were?"

"It wasn't easy, but Rouge helped us." Bokkun told them.

As they continued, Rouge looked somewhat ashamed before Shadow. "I'm sorry this happened," she told him. "You were right. I was jealous. But this wasn't what I wanted. Can you please forgive me?"

"I already have." Shadow was pleased. It seemed to him that the Great Spirit was smiling on him. But now was not the time to think so. He still had work to do. "You guys head to the G.U.N.," Shadow instructed. "I'm going for Maria."

The coal hedgehog was about to head out for her when Sonic stopped him. "And commit suicide in the process? I don't think so," he stated.

"Go back to base with the others, Sonic. That's an order."

"What is this to you? Playtime?" he asked. "So you can be the Ultimate Lifeform again?"

"No!"

"Then what? What is it?"

"I'm not... strong enough to-!"

"Strong enough? And this will make you stronger?!"

"Yes. Wait! No!"

"Is that what this is?! Some sort of work out?!"

"I can't lose her again!" Shouted the military agent. Seeing the shock on their faces, he quickly calmed down. "Do any of you know what it's like to watch someone you love die right in front of you, and you can't help them at all?" he asked. "Losing Maria completely broke my heart… made me realize I had a heart for that matter. Watching her suffer the past few weeks brought it all back, and… I'm not strong enough to lose her again." He looked as though he were about to cry, but he held back. "Look, I'm going. There's no reason to stop me, so…"

"Who said I was gonna stop you?" Sonic asked.

Shadow nearly jumped. "W-What?"

"I'm coming with you." Sonic added. "She's my sister and my friend."

"He's right," Sally stated, "We're all brothers and sisters in arms, Shadow. Whatever happens, we're there for each other and for you."

The ebony crimson hedgehog was not sure what to say. He was pleased to have been given friends like these. He smiled in thanks. It was going to be a good day after all.

"Then it's settled." Sally turned to everyone. "The fate of this planet hangs in the balance. Eggman has gone too far this time. Today, in the name of freedom, we take the battle to them!"

All the prisoners shouted in agreement. They would join them and end the war once and for all.

'Hang on Maria… We're coming…' Shadow thought to himself and crossed his arms.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

 **The Fight before Christmas**

* * *

Eggman and Makuta stood at a throne they 'borrowed' from England. They watched as robots and Dark Hunters gathered for the coronation ceremony. Orbot and Cubot swept the red carpet that stood between the door and the two evil tyrants.

In a short moment, that door opened. There stood Maria and Eclipse standing side by side. They slowly approached the old man and dark Kendov. The Dark Hunters on both end of the carpet each held out a sword for them. Each one lifted theirs as they passed under.

Once they got to the end, Eggman stood before them and cleared his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen," he began, "today, we are gathered to see the next generation assume the throne and become ruler of the Eggman Empire!"

Maria shrugged. "Let's get this over with…"

"Certainly her highness is not opposed to becoming a queen, hmmm?" Eclipse pointed out. Maria kept silent after that. She didn't want to be queen, but it was the only thing keeping her friends safe.

Eggman looked over at the girl. "Maria, will you solemnly swear to govern the people of Earth, according to my respective laws and customs?"

"I have no choice," she said. She was implying that she didn't want to but had to.

"Now," the old man said, "if anyone here has any reason against this coronation, speak now, or forever hold your peace."

"I object, Doctor!" a voice shouted. "This time, you've gone too far!"

The Dark Egg Leigon and Maria looked out the window. There in the distance was Shadow, and behind him was a massive army. Everyone from the now destroyed Knothole and a large portion of the G.U.N. had arrived.

The old man was scared beyond belief. "H-H-How did they escape?!"

"And now I do have a choice," Maria smirked. "The deal is off, Eggman."

Her former cousin growled. "That's it! No more Mr. Nice Guy! (Not that I ever was a nice guy, mind you.)" He turned to his commander. "Makuta! Send them out!"

Right before the Freedom Fighters, an army of metallic objects were either popping out of the floor, aiming at them, or both.

"Destroy!" Eggman and Makuta yelled. Cannons fired, and robots and Dark Hunters charged.

The resistance charged towards the creatures and avoided being blown to smithereens by the laser turrets that were pointed at them. The hedgehogs quickly took the robots by using their homing attack abilities. Shadow used one as a grenade and threw at others with his super strength.

A robot nearby tried to crush him, but Knuckles and Shadow combined their own power to defeat the mechanical beast. Another horde of robots appeared to attack, but G.U.N. soldiers blasted them off the edge from their heli-carriers. Those who didn't fall off were hammered by Amy.

Dark Espio leapt into the action as well, his intentions to destroy Shadow. He lunged at his target trying to fulfill his purpose, but Charmy and Vector pinned him down. "Sorry, buddy," said the latter. "This is for your own good."

Team Knothole and Chris were an especially powerful asset for the battle. Bunnie and Chris blasted multiple Dark Hunters with their cannon-arms. Antoine and Rotor smashed and slashed. Nicole inserted her programming into the machines, causing them to shut down. And Omega's weaponry destroyed many of the cannons that fired.

* * *

The Dark Egg Legion could only watch. The resistance was surprisingly more to them than they could imagine. "Is this part of your 'master plan,' Doctor?" asked Makuta with aggression.

The elder doctor snorted. "A minor setback," he replied.

Then Makuta saw something appear from the clouds. "Your setback is no longer 'minor.' Dii zeymah bo wah krif." He told Eggman as he left.

* * *

Seconds later, another large horde of Dark Hunters appeared, this one being larger than the first. They proved to be a challenge as they began shooting down heli-carriers.

"There's too many of them!" shouted Blaze. "We need some backup."

"Ask and you shall receive!" a voice shouted as an unforeseen beam shot down and blasted the Dark Hunters away. The fighting resistance looked up to see angel-like being descending from the heavens.

Shadow knew who they were. "Takanuva! Your timing couldn't be any better." He said with gusto.

"Pruzah wah lost fahdon ko lok staad. It's good to have friends in high places." Takanuva and Shadow plowed through the opposing army together. The Kendov used his staff to blast any Dark Hunter, while the hedgehog used his Spin Dash.

As they neared the way back into the Dark Egg, shots of power hit around them from above. Makuta was charging down on them. But his younger formed a barrier to protect them. The Dark one crashed into the shield and fell to the floor.

"Go to the woman of light!" instructed Takanuve. "I shall hold of my brother."

"Much obliged." Shadow took off down the corridor.

The younger one stepped toward his older brother, ready for the battle. When Makuta got up, something was notably different. The paleness around his face had been replaced with color, and the blacks of his eyes were white. "T… Takanuva? Where are we? Where's father?" he asked in a different voice.

The younger brother was surprised. There was face he had remembered from long ago… from before their father was cursed. "Ekimu?"

Suddenly, the color had been reverted with the rest of his body. "Ekimu is mine!"

"What are you?!" demanded Takanuva. "What have you done to my brother?! Answer me, you monster!"

"Oh, no… it's what he has done to me…" he replied as they began their battle.

* * *

Those at the throne room saw everything from a camera nearby. They knew that Shadow was headed their way. "Allow me," said Eclipse. He left the altar to face his enemy. Once he got down, the door opened.

There stood the black and red hedgehog. He was soaking wet. "Okay, why do you even have that lever?" he asked Eggman as he reigned the water out of his quills.

"Your guess is as good as mine..." Eggman activated a shield that kept them out of the way. Maria was trapped on his side. She wanted to help, but she couldn't without a Chaos Emerald.

Shadow and Eclipse approached one another slowly until they were both in the middle, yet they were both a few feet away. Before any punches were thrown though, Eclipse spoke up. "Shadow, I was made to kill you, and you've given me every reason to do so… But you are also the last of my blood. The only thing I can call a family." He held out his claw. "So I'm giving you one last chance… Join me, brother. Let us harvest the life on this planet, and begin our life anew."

This wasn't the first time the darkness had appealed to Shadow. Eggman, Black Doom, and now Eclipse… but he had learned his lesson. He had led the world into agony far too often, each time because he had been deceived. Not this time… but he could also see that he didn't want to fight. He knew what must be done.

"You're right," Shadow began. "We're about as close to being related as possible… but we aren't children in Doom's eyes. We're tools, only for misery and destruction. I know you are capable of more than this. Black Doom's purpose is beneath you. Don't be lead astray as I was."

As he was speaking, Eclipse lowered his claw. He listened to each word that Shadow had to offer. Maria watched from behind the barrier as well, and she was genuinely touched.

"That girl behind you… she taught me what it means to live a different way of life… a better, more meaningful life. I can do the same for you. I feel like I'm meant to. But I can't unless you let me. Please… reject Black Doom. Live here on Earth with me. Let's be what you want us to be." He held his hand out to Eclipse. "Let's be brothers…"

After a brief silence, Eclipe held his hand out to Shadow's… only to swat it away. "I tried to be reasonable… but now, you're going to die, traitor!"

At that moment, the two began their final battle. Eclipse growled and tried to destroy Shadow, but to his surprise, the Mobian proved to be more of a challenge. Though he still could not use his Chaos abilities, both seemed to be evenly matched this time.

Shadow struck the alien down to the ground. Eclipse panted out of exhaustion. "You were created to join the Black Arms, not destroy them. It wasn't supposed to end this way."

"If I'm going to protect this world… my friends… I'm sorry Eclipse. But I've got to put you down!" Shadow picked up a sword one of the Dark Hunters dropped. The coal hedgehog held it to his chest, while Eclipse held it back. "And I blame Doom for making me do this!"

The Black Arm growled loudly and started to glow a menacing red. "NO!" Suddenly, his body started to transform right below the black hedgehog. He became twice as large with solid plating growing on his head and limbs. The now larger Eclipse threw Shadow off of him and into the side. "Well, Shadow? Surprised? Satisfied?! I was created to destroy you! You're nothing to me!" He was more of a challenge than before. In seconds, Eclipse had the upper hand, and Shadow was under his foot… almost literally.

Maria was worried. Without an Emerald, she could only watch and hope.

Eclipse proved to be the better of the two in that instant. He grabbed the hedgehog by the waist and held him against the wall. "Traitor! Black Doom gave you life, and you took his in return! Now, I shall avenge my master… Now, you will join our father in Oblivion! Any last words?!"

"His blood may run through my veins… but Black Doom was never my father!" As Shadow continued to speak, he somehow grew stronger. His fur slowly turned gold. He didn't have his Chaos Emerald, but it felt like he was being powered by something stronger. "My father was the man who raised me, and taught me almost everything I knew. My father was driven to creating me for help others. His love for Maria, not lust for power, was what drove him to not only the creation of my body, but the birth of my soul." Within seconds, Super Shadow broke free. "My father is Gerald Robotnik! I promised him that I would protect the billions of people below. I will not break that promise until the day I die!"

"Oh, crud…"

Right there and right then, the Ultimate Lifeform gave the alien menace the finishing move. "CHAOS… BLAST!" A great blast sent Eclipse through the barrier that kept Maria away and crashing through the window. Eclipse screeched in anger as he fell to the abyss beneath them.

Maria ran through the hole in the wall and straight to the gold and red hedgehog. She wrapped her arms around Shadow and held him tight. "I knew you could do it," she said with a smile.

As they held one another, a certain old man crept to the distance. He had set up an emergency escape pod behind a wall earlier just for the occasion. But before he could open it, a Chaos Spear barely missed his nose and destroyed the control.

He looked over to see that the one who threw the spear was... "S-Sh-Shadow!" Eggman stuttered.

The Mobian approached him slowly. "You don't deserve to live…"

Eggman fell to his knees. "I-I'm sorry!" he began to beg. "R-Really! Please, go easy on me! I'll turn over a new leaf, I swear! Just give me a chance!"

"Why should I believe you? Everything I ever heard from you was a lie."

"What're you gonna do?" asked the Eggman. "You wouldn't kill an old man, would you?"

"And stoop to your level?" he replied. "Besides, that would be against my promise."

The old man breathed relief. "Thank you, Shadow. If there's any way I can repay you, don't hesitate."

"You can start by putting these on," said another voice. Sonic walked into the room along with many others. He threw a pair of handcuffs on the floor before him. "Ivo Robotnik, or rather Dr. Eggman…"

"By the authority of the G.U.N.," another voice said.

"And the Freedom Fighters," yet another voice added.

"You are under arrest!" everyone shouted.

"Like you said," Shadow concluded, "in every game **,** there are winners **,** and there are losers… In this game, evil never wins."

But Eggman still had one more trick up his sleeve… literally. "Gotcha!" He quickly pulled out a strange remote and pressed a button. A strange machine appeared from the sides of the walls and from the roof. What looked to be guns were pointed at several in the middle, and the machine forced all them out, except for Maria. Eggman laughed maliciously. "I don't know how you got them out, Maria, but that's against the rules… and as you know, in my game, cheaters…" He pressed another button. "…get roboticized!"

A surge of red coursed into Maria. The hedgehog girl's screamed in pain and agony. She couldn't break free at all.

"NO!" shouted Shadow.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

 **A Hero's Fall, A Devil's Rise**

* * *

The Roboticizer began to surge into Maria's body. Super Shadow and the others tried to break her out before it was too late, but it was no use. Even Chaos Spear was not strong enough to penetrate the machine. Eggman laughed maniacally. It was to be his greatest triumph against their morale.

But then the machine started smoking and sparking. This surprised the evil scientist. "What's going on?!" He shouted. "This shouldn't be happening!"

"I don't know," Orbot told him. "Something inside of her is overloading the machine!"

"No! Turn it off! Turn it off! Quick!"

But Eggman was too late. The machine smoked and sparked more and more. Soon, it was too much. The Roboticizer blew itself apart, sending pieces flying all over the room. Maria fell to the floor. The Roboticizer didn't change her at all, but she was in pain.

Suddenly, they felt as though they were falling. They looked out the window to see clouds flying up. Cubot looked at the computer. "We blew our main power source! We're gonna crash!"

"What?!" As soon as Eggman said that, a large cable fell on top of him.

Everyone in the room, even the Dark Hunters, ran off for the door. Within seconds, it was just Eggman, Makuta, Shadow, and Maria, who laid on the ground in agony. Shadow ran to pick her up then he glared at the evil doctor. "I'm gonna make sure she's alright. You have that much of a head start." He turned to Makuta. "We'll face each other again soon… but next time, on _**my**_ terms." With that, the coal hedgehog used Chaos Control and vanished.

Eggman grinned. "Excellent work, Makuta," he said as the one addressed lifted his fallen cable. "The Dark Egg will fall into place, right?"

"Correct," the creature replied. "We shall crash land on the G.U.N. headquarters in moments. If nothing alters the ship's current path, it shall destroy all who oppose us." Then he laughed. "At long last, my plan is now complete."

" _ **'Your'**_ plan?" Eggman asked with a glare. "You've been a most resounding commander, Makuta. But it was my genius that made this possible. My genius found you, my genius freed you, and my genius empowered you. If not for my genius, you'd be collecting dust in a cave." He crossed his arms and stood inches away. "So tell me… whose plan is this?"

" _ **MINE!**_ "

The being grabbed Eggman in a death grip. With his free hand, he clawed his head, and an electrical charge surged into him. Robotnik shrieked in pain and fear. Images suddenly filled his self-conscious.

"See and understand," Makuta began. "I was banished from the realm of the Great Spirit to Oblivion in the dawn of time. For such, I plotted against the Great Spirit, and I corrupted the souls of mortals, beginning with Earth's earliest ancestors. But then, nearly two thousand years ago, He took on flesh and sacrificed Himself to my mercy. I thought victory was mine until He returned with the many souls I had taken.

"Since then, I devised a new plan with which I would use the Spirit Stones to grow strong. I plunged the Kendov into war and nearly hailed victorious, when I heard the prophecy of Shadow and Maria... the Jul Kendov. They were destined to destroy me, so my plan was to do so to them. The Kendov discovered my ambitions and deprived me of my full strength. They banished me to the farthest reaches of space.

"Miraculously, I found my way to Earth. For fifty years, I bided my time, plotting the end of my revenge… until you discovered me and provided the innovation I lacked." He released the old man and let go of his head. "Now the Jul Kendov shall be destroyed. Now the prophecy shall be undone. Now Mundus shall be mine to control."

"W-We were going to rule the world...!" Eggman nearly stuttered.

"I am the King of Oblivion. I will be the new Great Spirit. With the Spirit Stones, I will reshape the universe in my own image! And this world... I shall destroy with the Professor's Ultimate Weapon."

"Wh-What weapon?" Then Eggman remembered who the Professor was and froze. "Grandpa's Eclipse Cannon..."

Makuta laughed. "I possess one of the Spirit Rings. Though it, I have reclaimed great strength." He rose into the air and dark power surged from him. "Your genius is no longer needed."

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Eggman had never run so fast in his life, nor was he so frightened. 'It's not over! I can fix this! Must get to my old lair! Get to my secret weapon! Get off this rock! I can fix this! I CAN FIX THIS!'

* * *

Meanwhile, Maria was in recovery at Thorndyke Manor. She was in little pain if any. Gali and Uncle Chuck checked her all over for any abnormalities. Shadow and the others were outside her room, relieved that it was over. Or so they thought...

What surprised everyone was to see that Shadow was still maintaining his super form. Though he had no Emeralds, his fur was glowing and he felt exceedingly strong. He couldn't seem to expel the power.

Soon, the old hedgehog came out. "How is she, Unc?" asked Sonic.

"Her body seems to be intact," Charles replied. "It still amazes me that she took such an intense electrical charge without it killing her."

"What I don't understand is... how was she not roboticized?" Tails asked.

"Simple," replied Sonic. "She's my clone. I'm immune to the Roboticizer." The others agreed to that reality, having seen it themselves.

"Can we see her?" asked Shadow.

"Wait for it..." No sooner did he say that did Maria come in behind him.

Shadow let out a sigh of relief, feeling as though he wouldn't see her again before. "How're you feeling?" he asked.

"Never felt better. I never have to work for that Egg-jerk again, and you got out safely," replied Maria cheerfully. But then she became rather curious. "Um... How long have you been in your super form."

"Since the Dark Egg. Strange though, I don't have any Emeralds."

"I bet you didn't need them," said a certain red echidna. Being the guardian of the Master Emerald, he knew more about Chaos energy than most others. "Like Eggman said, you can 'produce your own Chaos energy,' right?"

"Something like that..."

"To quote from one of my ancestors, 'Chaos is power, enriched by the heart.' When you were talking about your 'father' back there, you must have been, and still are, exerting enough Chaos energy to defeat Eclipse. Your love for Gerald as your dad made you go super!"

This caused Shadow to think. He remembered that the more he thought of him, the stronger he became. If Knuckles was right, then maybe... But as he thought, they heard the city's emergency siren. Followed by several screams and running. As they left the building, they noticed an overcast. But there was no cloud in the sky...

It was the Dark Egg. They had blown the primary engine their heads, and it was heading straight for them. The Freedom Fighters hurried to get out with as many individuals as possible.

But Makuta appeared on the screen. "Go ahead and run, mortals," he said. "If this mighty fortress does not destroy you, the 'Eclipse Cannon' will!" As though on cue, the atmosphere cleared only for a second, showing the weapon in question charging to fire.

The Freedom Fighters and the Kendov were horrified. Takanuva especially. "Even with our combined strength, we could not stop that..."

"Game over, man!" Manic panicked. "We're doomed!"

Right there and right then, the thought of his promises came through, and Shadow knew what needed to be done. "Takanuva... Sonic... everyone, evacuate the the city. Save as many as you can." The others agreed and left to do as instructed.

"What about you, Shadow?" asked Maria as they left.

"I'm going up there."

"What?" Maria was shocked.

"Without my inhibitor rings, I should have enough power to do what must be done."

He was just about to remove his stabilizer bracelets, when Maria stopped him. "Shadow, you can't. That's suicide."

Shadow turned to face her. "Then I can finally repay an old debt."

"There- there has to be another way! I'll think of something...!"

"There's no time. You have to trust me."

"Please... I lost everything else from my old life. I can't lose you, too!"

"You wont," he assured her. "Everything will be alright... I promise. Just let me go..."

Maria was silent. Tears started to emerge from her eyes. Before she allowed him to carry out his plan, she wrapped her arms around him to hold him one last time. "Never alone... always together..."

Shadow returned the gesture. "Maria and Shadow... best friends forever." After a slow release, Shadow took off his inhibitor rings, and he took to the sky at full speed. He dared not look back, or else he feared he would change his mind before it was too late.

* * *

His final mad dash had begun. Racing against time to find the strongest source of power he knew of. Nearly dying to protect his world… his friends… his family.

How many times had he done this? Risked his life to protect the planet Earth? Nearly died to keep his promise to Maria? Perhaps too many times too many. But if he could do so once more… it will have all been worthwhile.

As he approached, he closed his eyes. "Great Spirit," he prayed. "I have heard You achieve many glorious things... You protected me and Maria through thick and thin... I now know without doubt that you are real. I don't care what happens to me after today. All I ask is that everyone else is safe... from _**him**_."

The Ultimate Lifeform was quick to reach the Dark Egg. He sank his fingers into the metal and closed his eyes. An image of a certain winged hedgehog appeared... along with a small tear in his eye. "Sayonara, Angel the Hedgehog..." He then began to draw some Chaos energy from around him. "CHAOS CONTROL!"

* * *

From within Station Square, the Freedom Fighters, Kendov, and G.U.N. witnessed a bright light from the Dark Egg. It grew brighter and brighter and suddenly, the light vanished, and so did the Dark Egg. And as the charging Eclipse Cannon aimed itself at the Earth…

…the Dark Egg reappeared in the way.

A great bottle-green lance erupted from the tip of the massive gun, and slammed directly into the top of the Dark Egg. The explosion could be seen by millions. Almost all at once, the Dark Hunters collapsed one by one along with the enemy ships. The battle had ended. Soldiers and Mobians cheered in joy for their success.

Sonic turned on his communicator. "Congratulations, Shadow! You have destroyed the Dark Egg, ended an all-out war, and bettered the future for all! What are you gonna do now?" All he could hear from the other side was static. "Shadow, come in. Do you copy?" Still no response.

All were silent, all were scared for Shadow. The G.U.N. Commander was the first to speak thereafter. "I want a salvage team out there now!"

Maria was beyond frightened. She feared that his beloved was…

* * *

"Shadow! Shadow! Where are you?!" Several voices sound.

In the remains of the station, several individuals searched high and low. They almost tore the remains apart. But there was no sign of the black and red hedgehog.

From the other side of the horizon, Sonic sped by in a cloud of ashes.

"Any luck?" Maria asked worried as the cloud trail stops in front of her.

The blue blur shook his head. "Nada…"

They look back at a lake and saw Tails flying their way along with Knuckles. "He had to have escaped. Why else can't we find him?" The two tailed fox asked.

"Chao! Chao!" Behind them, Cheese appeared. He seemed rather excited. The little creature pointed to the distance. There, in the direction he was pointing, was Makuta's body. Underneath, they could see another body.

Maria gasped as she looked in fear. "No..." She ran over to the body and the others followed. Using their combined muscle, they lifted the heavy metal to get a better look at the body.

Sure enough, it was… "Shadow! Shadow! Speak to me!" Maria pleaded with tears in her eyes. She tried to awake him by shaking him. All the while, the Freedom Fighters, G.U.N. and many others gathered, they looked down at the body, and some were ready to embrace the worst.

"Please, Shadow! I'm begging you! Open your eyes! Say something! Please!" She turned him over at that moment, and the arm over his chest fell to the ground. A sharp pain fell on Maria's heart. She knew what this meant. "N-No..."

The reality was heavy, crushing many, especially Maria, beneath its weight. Those many joined her in her mourning, while others saluted in respect to this heroic champion. The war had ended... but he who ended it had fallen to death. How great a price, victory? Can the girl who cared for him the most ever accept this fate? This overwhelming sadness? She is uncertain. But she had made a decision thereafter.

After many fallen tears, she looked at Makuta's hand. She focused on the ring upon it and its match on her own.

"Maria?" Sonic asked curiously.

"These rings," she began, "have caused far too much chaos and separation... I'm going to take these rings where nobody will ever find them again."

She reached down to pull the ring from Makuta's finger. But as the two rings touched, a sharp pain struck her like lightning. She shrieked in agony, and Makuta's body roared loudly. The dark one's exterior then began to change. His pale skin grew the color of flesh, his grey hair became a golden yellow, and his black wings were now white. All the while, a shadowy substance began to form nearby like filth after one has bee cleansed.

Maria fell back, landing in the form of a sit. She looked up as the shadow rose into the air and circle rapidly. Within the pain she felt previously, she saw that within Makuta was something far worse. "Oh, no... oh, no, no, no, no, NO!"

"What... what in the name of the Great Spirit is that?!" asked one of the Kendov.

"The real great evil..." the winged hedgehog began. "He who was exiled from the realm of the Great Spirit... he who corrupts mortals through shame and accusation... he who longs to separate us from the Great Spirit forever..."

As she spoke, the shadow began to take form, and the sound of laughter could be heard. At first glance, it appeared to be human, but then it grew to be a hideous beast. Its flesh was blood red, its claws sharper than any sword, and its feet like the hooves of a mountain goat. It wore an ebony black breastplate, gauntlets, and leg armor. It had two wings and a tail like that of a dragon. It also had two large horns on its head, with hair like fire.

"That is the king of Oblivion... Lucifer," Maria concluded.

Lucifer breathed through his nostrils, and exhaled with pleasure. "It's good to be back. It's been far too long since I had a body all my own."

Tahu glared at the figure. "Lucifer! I heard many tales of you! You were supposed to protect the mortal worlds before us!"

"I shall," he replied. "And when you awake, you will honor me as your great leader."

Takanuva stared angrily. "Deception and self-interest will never be virtues we honor."

Lucifer laughed. "How very bold…" he stretched his hands out into the air. "Now, I will finally have my revenge on the Great Spirit!"

As he regained his strength once more, he summoned the seven Chaos Emeralds of the Earth. He quickly absorbed the power from to amplify his own strength. After all seven Emeralds were drained, his mere presence to the world was enough to distort reality itself. A dark shadow started to consume everything around it. Every ocean, every bird, every small insect, and nothing in the universe could escape it. Mundus was being destroyed in the presence of Lucifer.

The Jul Kendov's time… was up.

And so began the end of all things.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

 **The End of All Things**

* * *

When the dark storm ended, Maria stood and looked around. Everywhere but a small area around her feet had been scorched, and darkness fell upon the earth. It was as though a great explosion had occurred.

What struck her hardest was what happened to those around her. Almost all of the Kendov had been turned to stone. And if that wasn't enough, all mortals she saw: Sonic, Chris, her family and friends... everybody had transformed. They were all now monstrous Dark Hunters.

They looked up to see Lucifer hovering above what looked like a statue. "This body lacks its full potential, but that will change when I acquire the Spirit Stones and conquer all." he hissed.

"You really are the great evil!" Maria uttered. "Lucifer, this isn't fair!"

" _ **FAIR?!**_ " roared Lucifer. "I'll tell you what's unfair: I was once the most powerful, the most beautiful, the most superior being of all the Great Spirit's creation. Many saw me as the image of perfection. And then, He made you in His 'likeness.' Mortals, the flawed creation! And I was to bow down to you?!"

Maria was able to piece it all together from there.

"My gratitude for breaking Ekimu's hold on me. Since you have freed me, I shall spare you this once. But be warned: next time we encounter, I'll show no mercy." With that said, he and his corrupted minions disappeared.

Maria was puzzled. "Ekimu? Who's Ekimu?"

Just then, the elder son of Mata Nui then rose behind her, and he approached the figure Lucifer was once over. Upon a quick look, he fell to his knees, ready to weep. "Zeymah... bolog frolaaz. Forgive me, Takanuva. I have failed you, and I have failed father."

"Failed?" Maria asked. "Isn't this what you wanted, Makuta?"

"Woman of light, please spare me this... My name is not truly Makuta. It is Ekimu." Then, he explained. "The great evil came to our realm many millennia ago. His goal was to obtain the power of the Spirit Stones and take all as his own. I heard of his plan through the Great Spirit, thus I followed him to conquer him. My actions were selfless, but my hopes were foolish. I took him into my own body that day, hoping to tame him. But he took control over me, and I became the very beast I sought to destroy... I became Makuta."

"So you were possessed all this time? For hundreds of years?"

"Yes. Centuries upon centuries, I was forced to carry out what I sought to prevent. What hurts most was the curse I cast upon my father. I only wish I could see him once more, and express my remorse."

The blonde hedgehog was truly touched by Ekimu's words. She didn't need to question if he was lying or not. Speaking in a somewhat motherly tone, she places a hand on his shoulder. "Ekimu... its okay. What happened was against your own will. I think... I think your father already forgave you," she told him. "There's still time... come on. We need to stop him."

"We can't," said Ekimu. "He has gained physical form. He grows strong as he obtains Spirit Stones. He will destroy all."

Unmoved by his negativity, she showed both of the Spirit Rings. "Not if we destroy him first."

The Kendov sighed. He quickly took the ring off his finger and placed it on her's.

"Hey! What're you doing?"

"It is your destiny to destroy the Great Evil, not mine. Nis brud nii voth hi, nuz vis hiif hi. I cannot carry this burden with you... but I can take you where he has gone."

Maria nodded. "I understand."

Ekimu then began to muster up what energy he had left over from holding Lucifer in. Through it, he conjured a portal that would take them to where Lucifer was. Maria instantly jumped through.

* * *

On the other side, Maria opened her eyes and looked around. It looked like she was back on the planet of Mata Nui, but it was much different. Islands were on fire, crystal cities were brought to ruin, and darkness shrouded the land.

Suddenly a voice shrieked from from behind. She turned around fast, and she saw what looked like a blue hedgehog. But it was much different. It had one large eye instead of two, scales instead of fur, and four legs like that of a crab. Maria gasped. It was Sonic, now a Dark Hunter. "Bolog aaz, mal lir!" The heartless monster then lunged at the blonde hedgehog.

Maria quickly dodged. "Sonic! Stop!" she shouted. "It's me! Your sister!"

"Ausul saraan!"

"I know you're in there! I don't want to fight you. You have to fight it!"

"Kren Sos Aal!"

"Sonic, please!"

But before she could say any more, Dark Hunter Sonic quickly grabbed her by the neck. "Faaz! Paak! Dinok!"

Maria grabbed his hand with her hands, trying to be free from the tight grasp, but to no avail. She couldn't scream for help. She had so little breath, her face almost turned purple...

Just then, a blast flew to Sonic. It stunned him and he dropped Maria to the ground. She turned to see Ekimu, who had jumped in shortly after. The two looked to see many other of her corrupted friends and family.

"I will help you past these few. Save your power for the enemy," the last Kendov instructed.

"But... but these are my friends..." Maria said, nervously.

"They are Dark Hunters, who feel no pain and show no remorse. They don't think, feel, or live freely... and they can't be restored without defeating their master."

"Alright... I understand... just please don't kill them."

"My sentiments precisely."

And so began a new battle. The hand that unwillingly created these monsters was now fighting against them. Maria shot her arrows as warning shots at the beasts. While they were clearly outnumbered, the two miraculously outmatched the monsters. At last, they reached their destination: the castle of Mata Nui.

"I'll hold them off. Go, fulfill your destiny."

"Be careful, Ekimu." The winged hedgehog charged into the castle. As she made her way to the main chamber, the doors closed behind her.

* * *

Before long, Maria had made it to the main chamber. It had changed from when she was on Mata Nui last. The walls were jagged and dark. The pedestal that held the Spirit Rings was destroyed. And on the floor was the image of a pentagon within a star.

While it didn't show on her face, the hedgehog was scared. But she had to forge on. She was the last light of hope for the universe. "I know you're here," she shouted. "Come out of the darkness."

A reply came thereafter. "I _**am**_ the darkness... the darkness that consumes the souls of the fallen. Now, this is your final warning: run away, or perish."

"I am through running," she replied as she held out her bow, ready to fight. "The universe will be freed this day!"

Lucifer grinned in a corruptive way. "The woman of light, now so bold. But without the man of darkness, you are just Maria." As he was speaking, the king of Oblivion came into sight. To Maria's surprise, he had become larger after absorbing some of the planet's energy. What he said next only made her feel worse. "You failed to save your friends, your family, your world… you didn't even warn them. Perhaps for your final failure, a simple challenge against me?" he offered. "Win, and I will surrender. When you lose, I will have those Rings."

"I will not fail!"

"Come to me, chosen protector! Come, fulfill your destiny!"

Maria started charging her Chaos powers, white lightning bouncing off the golden aura. Super Maria was soon ready. Lucifer also started charging his own powers, black lightning sparking off himself. The two rushed at each other, moving quicker than anything could follow. The beginning shockwave was so strong that it shattered the palace they were within.

Punches, kicks, and powerful shots were expertly blocked by both warriors, the crashing echoing like thunder across the horizon. The battle outside had come to a stand still as every Dark Hunter watched.

"You stole their free will... their souls! They couldn't stop you! But I will!" Using the power of the Spirit Stones, Maria had lifted two of the islands telepathically. She tossed them around in an attempt to sandwich the enemy.

But Lucifer held out his hands, and the islands were demolished before they touched him. "My turn, then?" Using his power, he reached out for the power of the planet, and some of the energy from within was extracted. That energy was then thrown at the hedgehog girl. Maria quickly jumped away. "Still running, mortal?" he laughed.

With every energy blast from the Spirit Stones tossed at her, the former human jumped, ducked and dodged. All the while, she was reminded of her nightmare from a few nights before. It was coming true.

Maria then called upon the Spirit Rings herself. She began assailing Lucifer with everything she thought of. But the enemy was able to redirect the fire around him. Suddenly he spun in place, transforming into a large red tornado. "No, no, no!" Maria shouted as he was sucked in. She tried vigorously to escape, and she quickly thought of an idea. Going in the direction the tornado spun, she caused one hard flap and flew out of the tornado, far from its reach. Lucifer stopped spinning and leaped over to where she was. He tried to crush the winged hedgehog. But she dodged easily by flying further out.

As she flew back toward Lucifer, he pounded against the ground, causing rock to burst out. But Maria either dodged them or blasted her way through with her Chaos Arrows. As soon as they close enough, they both fired a large blast toward each other. As they collided, a large explosion flew across the land, sending the battle to a brief pause.

For a moment, the opposing fighters stood and stared. They were both exhausted. Lucifer then broke the silence. "It would seem we've reached an impasse... alright, Maria. I'll make you a deal." He stretched his arm out and pulled it up.

In the center of the remains of the palace, crystal broke apart, and something appeared from within. A lifeless figure was chained to a stone cross. Maria was shocked. It was Shadow's body.

"Give me the Rings, and I will let you save your equal."

The temptation was greatly strong. Maria knew she needed Shadow to fulfill the prophecy. However, she knew better than to give him the source to the greatest known power in the universe. How it came to be remained a mystery, but as she thought of what to do, it seemed that she sensed something coming their way. Something large and strong, but was it friend or foe? She sensed that it seemed to be... seeking Lucifer. She saw this to an advantage.

"Enough stalling, child," uttered Lucifer. "I demand an answer at once!"

Suddenly, a large, metal fist punched Lucifer with enough force to knock him down. There stood a large humanoid robot. Up where the head should be, there was a small human being within.

"Eggman?!" Maria yelled, completely stunned by the sudden turn of events. "But... why?"

"Because... nobody deceives Dr. Eggman unless I dismantle them first!" he yelled as he made his next move. Two large cannons like Gatling guns appeared in place of the robot's hands. But Lucifer managed to grab them and rip them off. "No! You good-for-nothing traitor!"

"I am your master, Robotnik, and I will do with you as I please!" Lucifer then grabbed the head of the robot and yanked it off. He now held Eggman in his Egg Mobile. "But you've worn out your usefulness!" He tossed his held item into the air.

"WHY ME...?!" Eggman shouted as he disappeared from sight.

As he had turned back, Lucifer saw that Maria had arrived at Shadow's body and broke the chains. "Checkmate, Lucifer." She held her hands over the lifeless body. "Chaos Restore!" Her body glowed over Shadow's.

But nothing happened.

"What...? Chaos Restore! CHAOS RESTORE!" Still nothing.

Lucifer grinned. "He's dead."

"Wh... what do you mean?"

"He isn't merely wounded, Maria. He's dead. The mortal's soul cannot be returned to the body it left. It is forbidden... by Him," he explained as he pointed up. Then he used his power to restrain her.

Maria tried to break free. But she had used up too much power trying to save Shadow.

Lucifer then approached her, and reached for each hand. "That was so foolish of you..." He slid the Spirit Rings off her fingers, then placed them on his own.

The absorbed energy coursed within him as he transformed again. Within a few tens of seconds, lo and behold, the creature became as large as a mountain. There before Maria stood a large firey red dragon with seven heads. Upon all of the heads were a total of ten horns, its claws were large enough to crush some of the large islands nearby, and its wings like a hurricane ready to strike… no monster, living or fictional, had ever been so fearsome.

Regardless of the multiple heads, a single voice came from the beast. "I will have my revenge on the Great Spirit," Lucifer said. "You shall die now, knowing your efforts were in vain. And my corruption shall spread into the souls of all mortals. And all that is good shall be gone from the universe forever!" The seven heads looked down upon the winged hedgehog. "My gratitude for bringing this about, Maria. Before I dispose of you, I shall grant you any one final request within reason."

The hedgehog girl looked down at Shadow, and then back at Lucifer. "Just one last goodbye… That's all I ask," she said, tearing up.

The master of darkness shrugged. "So be it."

She looked back down at the lifeless Shadow and kneeled down. "Shadow… I'm so sorry," she began. "You treated me the same whether I was human or hedgehog. You were always there when I needed you. But when you needed me most, I wasn't… And now… This is all my fault." She picked up his head and placed it on her lap. Then she closed her eyes, leaned down, and she gave him a small, yet passionate kiss on the lip. When she pulled away, she whispered, "You're my hero, Shadow… and I will always love you…"

Lucifer grinned evilly. "Isn't that just precious… Now, accept your doom." From his mouths, surges of dark energy accumulated, ready to strike at and finish her. Within seconds, the dark power flew from them toward her and Shadow. Maria held the lifeless black hedgehog close to her body and closed her eyes. She knew that only a miracle could save her now…

…and that was exactly what she got.

" _ **WHAT?!**_ " Lucifer shouted in surprise.

The hedgehog girl looked up. Around the two was some form of shield, and it had reflected the dark power. When the Chaos energy was depleted from around them, the shield retracted into Shadow and he began to glow a bright light. He then started to float into the air by the mysterious force.

Both Maria and Lucifer watched in wonder. Neither knew what was going on. Once Shadow's lifeless body was raised high enough into the air, a great energy filled the body, and out of it came a bright, blinding light.

When the light settled, Lucifer looked back at the source. "Impossible…"

What the two of them were staring at was a Mobian hedgehog that looked similar to the ebony and crimson one. Its fur was white as snow with gold markings instead of red. Even its eyes were a bright gold. Out from its back came not two, but four wings. It wore gold-lined armor with a matching shield on its right arm and a sword in its left hand. It looked at blonde one and smiled. "Thank you, Maria…"

The creature that she was staring at was indeed her beloved Shadow the Hedgehog, now Archangel Shadow!


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 14

 **The Final Boss**

* * *

There he stood… a new beacon of light for Mata Nui. A flame of hope for Earth. A newly awakened savior for all of Mundus. Coursing within him, a power not yet explained. A power that resurrected him in a matter of seconds. None knew where it came from.

Lucifer, however, was not ready to give up just yet. Using his own power, he tried to blast him and the blonde hedgehog to Oblivion once more. But Archangel Shadow's new power held strong and reflected the attack far into the distance. Now, Lucifer was filled with both fear and rage simultaneously. "How is this possible?! You have no power!"

"Deny it all you want, Lucifer. You may have the power of all the Spirit Stones in the universe, but I carry within me the True Power of the Great Spirit! Today, your reign of tyranny will end!" Shadow lunged toward the immortal monster, his sword at the ready.

For the briefest instant, the Accuser's eyes seem to widen in shock, but a sudden flare consumed him, and he was gone. "Have it your way, Jul Kendov," thundered his voice. "So be it! You've both returned from death, and I shall send you to Oblivion once and for all! Prepare to die! Say goodbye, as you witness my true wrath!"

Archangel Shadow remained still. His newly rebuilt confidence endured the death threat he'd heard innumerable times over. To him, the beast's words were nothing but the desperate bellows of a cornered animal… one that knew of the only way its struggle can end. The resurrected hedgehog turned to the gold and blue one. "I cannot defeat him… but _**we**_ can."

Maria nodded in response. "...and we _**will**_." On that note, she and Shadow held their arms out, palms facing one another.

He fed a large portion of his power to her, and her body began to turn white. Armor that matched Shadow's and even an extra pair of wings appeared from her. Archangel Maria was soon ready. Then the two took toward the skies toward the greatest battle they would ever face together.

As they did so, Ekimu watched them from below. He held up his staff in respect. "Jul Kendov werid! Praise the Protectors of Man!" he shouted multiple times.

* * *

As Lucifer grew from the strength being fed to him, he prepared to defeat his long-lasting adversaries. The words of the prophecy echoed in his head. Fear began to bubble within, but so did denial. He would not surrender to the current of fate.

A glint appeared far in the distance, but it started to increase in value and size. But he new it was not growing larger, but closer. As his eyes adjusted, he saw them.

The man of black and red, alit with the flames of truth and righteousness… The woman of gold and blue, who stood as the beacon of peace and faith… Together, they stood, ready to bring salvation to fair Mundus with the strength of the Spirit... True Ultimate Power.

A loud roar came from the beast. "I am Lucifer! The realms of Mundus are MINE!"

"Alright, Maria," said Shadow. "Time for the big finish!"

"We'll win this one together!" she replied.

The final battle for Mundus had begun.

As expected, the enemy of all began his first move. Each of the seven heads stretched out toward the two minscule creatures, each one trying to consume them. But try as he might, Lucifer couldn't get close. Each time he tried. Either Shadow would gash the mouth with his sword, or Maria would shield them in an orb of defense.

In the next instant, all of the seven mouths opened, bringing forth an avalanche of Chaos energy that spun about its form in an unnatural maelstrom of destruction. A wave of Chaos was then flung toward the two mortals.

But to no avail. Their power held against the sharp impact. The two stood as though they hadn't even flinched. "If this is your universe, then it's a universe we don't want any part of." Maria commented. Using some of her own power, she summoned an orb of what seemed to be pure light. The orb blasted toward the being, pain inducing within Lucifer for once in ages.

The immortal being growled in a menacing way. "You think you're so clever? I triumphed over the both of you!" The horror's mouths opened wide, and a massive stream of flame launched itself out of his mouths.

Shadow and Maria jigged to the side just in time, and the fire roared past him… and as Lucifer's immense bulk smoothly thundered about to face his foe, the two dove towards him. But now, a wall of energy appeared, blocking their path.

Shadow's sword formed by the True Ultimate Power tore through the shield like a knife through warm butter. "Yeah, sure. Always being paranoid and overprotective for the other's well-being… You know what? I'm done with that now! Catch!" A ball of pure vigor was tossed from the sword at the large being.

If given two extra seconds, the beast would have dodged the impending attack easily. But alas, there was no time. The power struck him with great force. Lucifer was launched through the air and blasted into a floating island. If any harder, the land would have fully broken apart and crumbled.

"Aw… you dropped it," Shadow grinned smugly. "I bet it's been a long time since you felt pain, huh?"

"Don't preach to me, mortal!" hissed the failing entity. "One way or another, I shall have my way with Mundus!" The being telepathically lifted pieces from the island. As though it were the entire island, he bundled it up into one and hurled it at them.

Using their own telekinesis, they tore the large mass of rubble apart. "Listen, you ruined everything…for everyone. And now, you're going to answer for it!" The Hedgehogs soared across the sky like a comet, their eyes locked on Lucifer. They slammed their shields into him with the sound of thunder emanating from them. The monster was sent flying once more, but he recovered more easily…

Only to have another attack of light thrust upon him. The self-proclaimed king of the universe howled in agony. Such a thorn in his flesh whom has haunted every step he ever made toward universal domination. And one of them stood within a relatively safe distance from him. "I don't suppose this has shown you the error of your ways?" asked Archangel Maria. "It's not too late, you know. You can fix plenty of the mistakes you've made."

Lucifer growled in anger and pain. "The only mistake I've made in my existence…" And he quickly flew over and snatched the girl in mid-air. "…WAS NOT CRUSHING YOU SOONER!"

"Maria! Be right there!" Archangel Shadow charged toward Lucifer. The dark lord fired as many projectiles as he possibly could. But the white and gold hedgehog dodged them all with the greatest of ease. "Crush THIS!" …and he slammed his shield into Lucifer's chest. The being was sent flying. In the process, he released Maria to recover more steadily.

Then for a brief moment, the great battle turned to quiet. The greatest combination of amazement and frustration came over the larger of the three. He glared at the two Mobians before him. "Well… you two aren't as easy to kill as I thought," he commented. "I don't know how you acquired Ziilot Suleyk after you were destroyed, but I must admit… I am very impressed."

"Thank you... I guess?" Shadow replied.

"But tell me, Jul Kendov… How do you plan to kill the one who _**invented** _ death?"

Both Shadow and Maria were silent. They realized just how powerful the creature they were dealing with was.

Lucifer chuckled. "Before I destroy you once and for all, I leave you with my final explanation… You see, being exiled from the realm of the Great Spirit made me inclined to corrupting all the mortal souls of this universe. Then He sacrificed himself for his so-called 'children.' So then, my best act of vengance was to collect as much power as possible. And now, I have more power than any realm… and star… any galaxy… but there is one I will never be able to surpass."

Shadow thought for a moment, then his eyes widened in shock. "You don't mean…?"

"You are correct, Shadow…" Lucifer looked to the dark sky. "The Great Spirit Himself. A source of unlimited power , created by nobody, and creator of all things… no matter how much power I attain, I will never be able to reach such a level of infinity. Therefore I see only one solution: I will destroy all that the Great Spirit has created and create a new universe in its place. Mundus shall worship me as the new Great Spirit."

Shadow and Maria stood in anger for the universe. First, the evil one robbed them of their free will, now the planned to wipe them out completely? The two hedgehogs stood side by side, ready to save their universe with their dying breath.

"You are annoyingly stubborn. Naturally, you will resist. So tell me… do you have the power to stop THIS?!" A large orb of Chaos energy appeared in each mouth. Lucifer pulled his heads and slammed the energy together hard. The force of the shockwave was so intense that it pushed the two Archangels to a great distance.

But the two were not ready to surrender. Shadow called out to Maria. "We need to combine our power! It should be enough to stop this!" And Maria agreed. The two came in over and stood side by side, hand in hand, their weapons touching. Their power combined into one, and as though all at once, it leaped from their body toward the dark matter.

It proved more powerful for a moment, but Lucifer began to add all of his power at once. He could see it seemed too much and that he was winning.

Suddenly, a bright, white light filled the void, and he was blinded. The dragon, Lucifer, screamed in defiance, but he didn't surrender.

" **Lucifer, leave** **my child** **ren alone** **,** " commanded a loud voice.

"NEVER!"

Shadow and Maria watched in astonishment as what looked like a dove flew into view among the light. The dove came over to him and Maria, hovering over them and aligltening them. " **Lucifer, do I have to repeat myself? I said: leave my child** **ren** **alone!** "

"Mundus is mine!" Lucifer replied. "I will not be denied my destiny by these two insignificant rats!"

To the hedgehog's surprise, Lucifer began to cower.

" **To Oblivion with you** **, Lucifer, and** **never return** **.** " And as He was still talking, like an explosive set off, Shadow and Maria's combined power burst forth.

It shattered the dark power, and tore straight through the dark one himself. Lucifer roared in terror. The bright light of the True Power of the Great Spirit consumed the corrupted one, and when it settled… all that remained were the two Spirit Rings.

Archangel Shadow grabbed the two rings with the hand that held the shield. "We're not rats!" he shouted into the void. As he was speaking, he crushed the Spirit Rings with his bare hand. "We're Hedgehogs!" He opened it to show nothing left but fine powder, which he blew away with a puff.

Although the battle had been finished, Lucifer's voice was heard. "YOU... CURSE YOU SHADOW... CURSE YOU MARIA!" he shouted "My body is gone, but my spirit lives on! I will return someday! I will crush all of your descendants! As long as their is sin in Mundus!" The voice ended with a dark and vile laugh.

Both Shadow and Maria knew he was right. There was another prophecy they knew of... one they once read in their days on youth. One day, Lucifer would return to Earth, and their would be an even greater battle. The only question was when? Would it be in a year? A decade? A millenium?

Did it matter?

Their duty was complete. The two hedgehogs had fulfilled everything as foretold – they were separated by force, reunited by fate, they travelled the Earth, found Ziilot Suleyk, defeated the greatest evil in the universe…

"Only one thing left to do..." said Shadow as he faced Maria. "You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied.

The two faced one another and joined hands. Their power was magnified beyond all compare. It started to consume everything in a bright light. Every planet, every star, every galaxy… the entire universe was being restored.

Their prophecy had been fulfilled.

" **It is finished.** **"**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

 **Home for the Holidays**

* * *

At last, the bright light settled. The natural light of Mata Nui's morning star shone in the skies once more. Sonic and the gang, now fully restored, looked around. Takanuva was there as well.

Chris and Bunnie looked at their bodies. Their cybernetics were gone. They were pure flesh and blood once more.

"Where are we? What happened?" asked Amy.

"Is this because of Lucifer?" Sonic added.

They all looked around. The floating islands and crystal cities were full of Kendov flying around, celebrating. "Lucifer mahlaan!" they shouted repeatedly.

"Lot vokul qahnaraan!" Tahu shouted.

"Jul Kendov los ok vokullakriid!" Gali added.

"Lucifer suleuk los nahlot!" cried Lewa.

"Mu los vomir!" uttered Pohatu.

Ekimu flew in and landed before his brother. "It is done. Lucifer viik. The great evil has fallen. He who came before all others and has always been."

Chris spoke after that. "What about Shadow and Maria? Are they...?"

"Look!" Cream pointed up.

Above them, in the midst of the celebration, two distinct lights shone. One of the two lowered to the grownd first. Archangel Shadow held Archangel Maria, who had passed out from exhaustion. As the light around them settled. They reverted to their original selves.

Shadow held her close and smiled. "Sweet dreams," he whispered.

The Freedom Fighters and the Kendov came from all around, cheering and congratulating him. "Long live the Jul Kendov!" many shouted. "Hail them with great praise!"

"Wow, Shadow! That was unbelievable!" someone exclaimed.

"You saved us!" cheered another.

"That form was awesome!" Bokkun squealed. "Do it again! Do it again!"

But the coal hedgehog shook his head. "Pretty sure that was a one-time deal. Lucifer was trying so hard to keep us from finding true ultimate power, I guess he made it build up in us."

Then they looked up. The second light. Slowly lowered, and the crowd stepped back for its landing. As the light settled, a man appeared.

"Is that…?" Knuckles breathed in awe. Shadow grinned. He knew who it was.

As the light settled, the figure came more into view. They could see the man had bronze eyes, and flesh that was almost at the point of glowing. He wore a white robe with a royal blue sash. One look and they all could see wisdom as old as Mundus itself.

"NO WAY!" uttered Sonic as he realized who it was.

The Man smiled in a rather fatherly matter. " **Peace be with you,** " He said. But everyone, except Shadow, was frightened. **"Why are you troubled? Why these fears and doubts in your mind? Look at my hands and feet. See the wounds I was given when I last came to Earth. Feel, and you shall know that it is I Myself."**

A number of the multitude came and felt, when they were sure it was Him, they all kneeled in reverence.

" **I tell you the truth,** " He said, " **the prophecy has been fulfilled just as it was given unto you. Lucifer has been sent to Oblivion once more, and all have been saved. It was for this reason that the people of Earth celebrated Christmas. But this holiday is not for the Earth alone. It is a day that all mortals on all realms, from the greatest to the least of these, was freed from Satan's wrath.** "

"Its all thanks to You," said Shadow as he carefully handed Maria to Sonic and stood up. "If You hadn't restored my life, Maria and I wouldn't have defeated him. I know You gave me Your true power needed to save everything. But what I don't understand is... what is Your true power?"

The Man smiled and shook His head. " **I did nothing,** " He told him. " **You didn't need to find My true power, Shadow. Believe it or not, you have always had it.** "

"I did?"

He nodded, and then He started to explain. " **There is not one thing, but three things that last forever. Three things that you have in abundance. The first of these is faith. You are a man of your word, keeping each and every vow you have made with your earthly brethren. Though you have stumbled and drifted away, they were because you others forced lies into you. Despite this, you kept your greatest promise to protect the Earth.**

" **The second of these is hope. At an early age, you were told that you were created from evil. Your link to the Black Arms made you feel like a monster… a weapon… something only for misery and destruction. Regardless, you strived to be someone better. The gifts you were given from birth, you wished to use for peace and protection.**

" **The third and final of these is the greatest. And if not for Maria, you never would have received it, nor would you have learned to give it back. This is what was foretold: 'When the hearts of dark and light become one, the True Power of the Great Spirit will blossom, and even death will be overcome.** "

As He was speaking black Hedgehog looked at the former human girl in slumber. It took a couple of seconds, but he knew what He meant. "Faith… hope… and love… Of course. Together, faith, hope and love make the True Ultimate Power."

"It is the only possible explanation," Espio jumped in.

"It would seem a heart forged from evil, for evil, can make good after all," Ekimu added.

Shadow slowly took in the information being given to him. It all sounded a bit too fantastic to be real, but then again, it seemed to him that he hung on every word. The more he listened, the less he felt so… dark, even after Maria had return.

The Man then knelled down to the black and red hedgehog and asked a very important question. " **Garfield** **,** **son of Gerald,** **do you love me?** "

Shadow was shocked at this, but inside, he couldn't help but say… "Yes, I do."

The Man beamed bright. He reached into His robe and handed a leather-bound book to Shadow. " **Then take my Sword, and follow Me.** "

When he had received the book, the Ultimate Lifeform removed the leather. He smiled as he read the label on the cover.

 ** _Holy Bible_**

After this, He stood and addressed the mass. " **Behold, you are all witnesses of this. When the time comes, I shall welcome you and your friends with open arms. Until then, return to your homes, telling everyone about Me to the Earth, and to Mobius and Mata Nui, and to the ends of Mundus.** "

As He was just about to leave them, Shadow spoke up. "Jesus... can I make one humble plea? Next time you see my father, please tell him I miss him, and I love him."

He nodded pleasantly to his request. And when it was finished, He was lifted up before their very eyes, and a cloud took Him out of their sight.

Before the Freedom Fighters returned home to Earth, Rouge looked at the black and red hedgehog. "Garfield?" she asked in disbelief.

Shadow laughed silently and nervously.

Sonic grinned cheekily. "Oh, I'm gonna get _a_ _lot_ of mileage out of this one."

* * *

When Maria woke up, all was quiet. She looked around to find herself in a very familiar room. She was back at Chris' home in Station Square. She could also see that her room was full of flowers of all sorts. Some of these included 'Get Well Soon' cards. 'How long was I out for?' she thought.

She sat up to see a blue hedgehog sitting at her feet. He was watching a special news report.

"Experts are still at a loss as to how Robotnik built such a large army. Nor what has happened during the global blackout shortly after his defeat," said the woman on the screen. The TV then showed footage of multiple disasters where Mobians were saving lives and clearing the damage. "What everyone agrees on is that the collateral damage has been manageable through the efforts of the G.U.N., and our new allies from the planet Mobius, including but not limited to the Freedom Fighters.

"The Mobians alone, now larger in numbers than ever before, and their advanced technology have made reconstructive efforts in hours that would have taken weeks to months previously. In addition, along with the military, they have saved a larger numbers of individuals than the G.U.N. would have alone. There are still few of these creatures in service around the globe, but their efforts are felt all the same.

The screen returned to the woman. "And that concludes our broadcast day. We will return once again in the next calendar year. Until then, this is Scarlet Garcia, signing off. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year."

As the program reached its end, Maria called to the other hedgehog, saying, "Sonic?"

The hedgehog chuckled as he turned around. "Quite flattering to be mistaken for my son."

Maria's eyes widened. That wasn't Sonic's voice she heard, nor was it his face she saw. Instead, it was an older hedgehog with some brown hair and dark brown eyes. She unhesitatingly hugged him. "Daddy!" she squealed in an emotionally overwhelmed voice.

Jules wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tight and feeling her soft fur and body heat... something he couldn't have done in a long time. Then, he lifted her chin to look her in the eyes. "I heard of all that you've done. And through it, the Great War is finally behind me. I am the proudest father alive... and your birth parents would be proud, too."

"Well, I promised you I would de-roboticize you, Dad, and I never go back on my word," she said as she wiped the tears away. "What about the others? The rest of the Earth? Is everybody okay?"

"Okay?" Her adoptive father laughed. "They're dancing in the streets!" He pointed to the balcony.

Maria went over there. From her window, she could see hundreds of individuals, humans and Mobians alike, in the middle of a large party. Just celebrating being alive. Maria smiled in pleasure, seeing people so happy after suffering for so long.

"How long was I out? What day is it today?"

"Today? Why, it's Christmas Day, of course," said a voice from the door. A familiar robot appeared. "Jack!" Maria was surprised. She ran toward and hugged him. "I-I thought you were a goner..."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Jack asked her. "Honestly, I'm not sure why you're all worried. The last thing I remember was this weird dream..."

"...that you turned into Metal Shadow and imprisoned us in Eggman's clutches?" asked Jules.

"Actually, I was milking a giant, headless goat. Can you think of anything so weird?" he asked. "Anyway, the rest of the gang is waiting for us downstairs. Come on."

The father, daughter and robot came downstairs to the living room of the manor. Bernadette was baking in the kitchen with Vanilla and Aleena. Sonic and Muttski were by the Christmas tree, trying to guess what was in each present under their names. Chris and Sally were on a nearby couch watching TV.

Chris turned off the TV and turned around to see the blonde hedgehog. "She's here!" Maria's friends and family came out and started clapping and cheering for their hero.

"Welcome back to the living, sis!" Sonic said and hugged her.

Maria returned the gesture."Great to see you again, bro!"

Sally came over behind the blue one. "Angel the Hedgehog, what you did was the finest act of heroism I think any of us have ever seen! On behalf of the universe, I thank you."

Maria blushed. "You're welcome..."

"Alright, gang," Jack stated happily. "Satan's down for the count, his goons are gone, and the whole dang universe is saved! Who wants to open Christmas presents?" He then grabbed the first gift he saw and read the label. Then he handed it over to his maker. "For you."

Maria received the gift and looked at the tag which said: 'To Maria, from Shadow.' She tore off the gift wrap and opened the box. "Oh my…" Maria stuck her hand in and picked up a sapphire-heart necklace. "It's beautiful!"

"Surprisingly, it's the only thing that survived Eggman's attack on New Knothole," Muttski pointed out.

Maria put it on her neck. "How does it look?"

Before they could answer, something happened. The sapphire heart around her neck started to glow. It surprised the rest of the room. They all knew the legend, and as far as they knew, this was the first time it lit up since said legend.

"What?" she asked in oblivious confusion.

"It's just…" Sonic paused for a moment. "You should go see Shadow. He's outside."

The hedgehog girl hesitantly did as she was told, and the others followed shortly behind. Once she got through the door, she looked around. Tails and Cream were out building a snowman. Rouge and Omega watched and helped out when needed. And Knuckles and the Chaotix were having a snowball fight. Then, Maria saw Shadow. He was with Antoine, Bunnie, and Rotor. By their request, he was telling them about how Maria saved his life while she was still human.

"You know, call me crazy for what I did with the Dark Egg, but I couldn't call myself her friend unless I were willing to do the same for her." Shadow smirked. "Besides, Maria still has a lot to learn. She's a lousy hedgehog." The others giggled and chortled under their breath. "And I mean a really lousy hedgehog." Then, Shadow saw Maria and smiled a pleasant smile. Maria grinned back, and Shadow stood up.

The coal hedgehog requested a little privacy, and the others went inside. The two approached one another slowly. They wrapped their arms around the other and held the other tight. The hedgehog girl kept her eyes open. She was scared because she knew he knew of her feelings now. And she worried about what he might say.

When they pulled away, the blonde one was the first to speak. "Hey listen, Shadow?" she said nervously. "You know, what I said to you back on Mata Nui, that… I–I didn't really-!"

He held up a hand, and she silenced. "Just one question," he replied. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

The blonde hedgehog looked surprised at him, and then she looked away. "I… I was scared," she confessed. "I feared being rejected, or worse - losing you as a friend. I feared I would put you in an awkward situation. I feared Grandfather or the other scientists would separate us because we were different species. I…" Small tears began to form in her eyes. "I'm sorry…"

She could suddenly feel his hand touching her cheek wiping away the tears. "Hey, don't cry. I'm not angry," he assured her. "If anything, I'm glad… that we don't have to hide anymore."

She raised her head at those words, the tears stopping for a second. "W-We?"

Shadow smiled as he continued. "Maria, you're hands down the most amazing girl that I could ever know. You've been a great friend, and I'm so happy you're in my life. But there's something I've wanted to tell you for over fifty years now…" he took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. There was no turning back now. "I… I love you, Maria Robotnik. I always have, and I was too scared to tell you for the same reasons. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

Tears stung the blonde one's eyes again and fell down her cheeks.

Shadow was afraid that he'd hurt her in some way. "Was it something I said?"

Maria whimpered and shook her head, "No, Shadow. You said everything right. You said everything I was too afraid to say."

The coal hedgehog sighed in relief. "Oh, good… I thought I did something wrong. I'm not exactly a 'Prince Charming,' if you know what I mean."

Maria smiled at those words. "Probably not… but 'Princess Robotnik' couldn't have asked for anything better. I love you, Shadow the Hedgehog. And I promise never to keep my feelings a secret again."

Shadow chuckled. "You and me both…" Then, there was the sound of something clicking. They looked up. Above them, some mistletoe dangled from a fishing line. The coal hedgehog chuckled again. "Very funny, Big."

Maria smirked and she took his hands into hers. "You know... I would hate to break such an old tradition."

Shadow looked at her in a loving way. "Then let's keep it, shall we?"

The blonde hedgehog smiled as the Ultimate Life form pulled her closer. When she could feel the warmth from his breath near her mouth, she got butterflies in her stomach, and she leaned in. They both closed their eyes, their heads tilted, and their lips finally met. Their lips moved slowly to take in the passion that they felt. She slowly lifted one foot to above her knees, while he slid his hands behind her back to pull her closer to him. And when they pulled away, they looked into the other's eyes and smiled once more, because they now knew this was meant to be.

The strength of their unity revealed their duty. The power of their love fulfilled their destiny. It was on that day that a valuable lesson was made known - the True Power of the Great Spirit is not found in the Spirit Stones, nor on the Earth, but within the hearts of those who believe. For in that single moment, when Mundus was freed from Lucifer's wrath, her two heroes received all they ever wanted… the one thing they would not give up for all the wealth and all the power in all the universe…

Each other.

* * *

Meanwhile, far in the empty nothingness of space, Eggman sat in his Egg Mobile. Orbot and Cubot pushed from behind, as they tried to return to Earth.

"Faster, you idiots! Faster!" the old man demanded. "Put your backsides into it!"

"Technically, we don't have backsides, sir," replied Orbot.

"I don't care! Just push! We have to hurry! I already have my latest idea planned out, and next time, I will not fail!"

"Of course you won't, sir. Or course you won't. On a positive note, a certain someone got his voice back." Orbot gestured to his edged counterpart.

"What a great Christmas gift!I feel like my old self! All I wanna do is talk, talk, talk!" uttered Cubot. "Hey, remember when we were chasing Maria across the Earth? What's up with that girl, anyway? She sure was funny looking! Hahaha! Smelled good, though..."

As the robot continued rambling, Eggman shrugged. "Bah, humbug..."

"Oh, I wish we had some of that sushi! Oh hey, I heard they started using fish! Bummer we didn't bring any with us! Not that we could eat it, since we're robots, but we could have looked at it! I love looking at stuff! I LOVE STUFF! The final battle we saw was great! Hey, how'd you suppose they defeated Satan, anyway? LOVED IT! By the way, did we destroy Sonic this time? Duh, sorry, dumb question! We never destroy Sonic! Hey, where are we going? Ooh, look at that star! Ooh, look at that one, and that one! That one's nice! Ooh, look at that..."


	17. Epilogue

Epilogue

 **Two Years Later…**

* * *

Shadow stood at the end of the aisle, dressed in an all-white tuxedo. As he waited, he watched as his friends sat and spoke among themselves. He didn't allow his nerves to show on his face, but he knew that that would all change once he saw her.

The G.U.N. agent took deep breaths to calm himself. He glanced over at his friends for support. Chris and Jack, who was standing next to him at the moment, each gave him a small grin. He smiled in thanks, and when he turned his head back around to the aisle, he was faced with the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on.

Maria's long golden hair fell in loose curls down her back, the shorter parts in the front hanging just above her shoulders. Her veil mostly covered her face, but Shadow could tell that she had little to no makeup on, as not to ruin her already lovely face. Her dress was amazing. Rouge had outdone herself this time. The skirt fell to the ground in a waterfall of white ruffles, with a few ribbons of silver cascading down the front. It was sleeveless, while also very modest. If Shadow had to choose one word to describe her, it would be 'perfect.'

As the music echoed through the room, he hedgehog girl started her walk down the aisle, with her blue brother on one side and her father on the other. She looked up, at Shadow… at her Shadow the Hedgehog… waiting there for her, and she knew that this was it. This was the day that she truly made herself one with the flame of her life. A day she would cherish forever.

As the two brought joyous light to their world through their union, visions of their past and future stirred within Ekimu. He witnessed a time when two young friends were set on a lifetime's journey. Even as Lucifer sought to destroy them, they feared not the face of darkness nor those who dwelt in the shadows. And now and forever more, they would face all hardships side by side... as husband and wife.

And so, the tale of the Jul Kendov comes to a close. But for Shadow and Maria, this was merely the beginning…

* * *

 _Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.  
_ _Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!_

 _ **1 Corinthians 13:7-8**_


End file.
